Romania has shot down three drones in three days, with a Romanian F-16 fighter jet intercepting the most recent Russian drone over the Black Sea on Sunday. This follows a second drone shot down on Saturday over a sparsely populated area near the border with Ukraine and an initial shoot-down on Friday.
The Romanian Prosecutor General's Office and government investigations identified the first of the three drones as a Shahed-type model used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. Defence Minister Radu Miruta stated that the impact site and wreckage are being analyzed, noting that the pattern is consistent with previous confirmed flights by Russian drones.
President Nicusor Dan described the breaches of the NATO member's airspace as inadmissible and intolerable. In response, Romania is summoning Russia's ambassador. While Romania has experienced frequent drone incursions since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it had not shot any down until Friday. Previously, Romanian jets shot down a drone over Estonia in May.
These ongoing violations raise concerns over the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on NATO states. Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike killed three people, identified as drivers for the private courier service Nova Poshta, in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region on Saturday.