Romania Shoots Down Third Unauthorised Drone, Condemns Repeated Airspace Violations

Bucharest, July 2026: Romania’s Air Force on Sunday shot down a third unauthorised drone that entered the country’s airspace in as many days, intensifying concerns over repeated aerial incursions near the border with Ukraine. The latest incident has prompted strong condemnation from Romanian President Nicusor Dan, who described the violations as “inadmissible and intolerable.”

According to Romania’s Ministry of National Defence, the drone was intercepted and destroyed at around 10:13 a.m. by an F-16 fighter aircraft over Romania’s territorial waters, approximately 12 kilometres northeast of Sulina in the Danube Delta region. Authorities confirmed that the operation was conducted safely and posed no danger to civilians.

President Dan praised the Romanian Air Force pilots and ground personnel for their professionalism and swift response. In a message posted on social media platform X, he said their actions had contributed significantly to safeguarding Romania’s territory and ensuring the safety of its citizens.

The President also issued a sharp warning over the repeated violations of Romanian airspace, emphasising that Romania is both a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union. He stated that any breach of Romanian airspace also represented a violation of NATO and EU airspace and would be treated with the utmost seriousness in coordination with allied nations.

Romanian authorities are investigating the origin of the latest drone. The General Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the drone shot down on Friday was identified as a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle, commonly used by Russian forces in attacks against Ukraine. Investigations into the drones intercepted on Saturday and Sunday remain ongoing.

Saturday’s incident saw another unauthorised drone enter Romanian airspace before being intercepted and shot down approximately 10 kilometres west of Sfantu Gheorghe, near the Ukrainian border. Defence officials said radar surveillance systems detected the aircraft shortly after it crossed into Romanian territory.

In both Saturday’s and Sunday’s operations, Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to identify and neutralise the aerial threat following standard NATO interception procedures. The Defence Ministry noted that the drone brought down on Saturday was intercepted by the same pilot who had earlier shot down the Shahed drone in Buzau County on Friday.

The latest incidents come amid continuing military operations in neighbouring Ukraine, where Russian drone attacks have frequently occurred near NATO member states bordering the conflict zone. Romania has repeatedly strengthened its air defence measures and surveillance capabilities along its eastern frontier in response to the growing security challenges.

Authorities have assured the public that investigations into all three drone incidents are continuing and that Romania remains fully prepared to respond to any future violations of its national airspace.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)