Bucharest Blames ‘Russian Provocation’ After Drone Incursion in Romania, Moldova

NATO fighter jets were dispatched after several drones were detected entering Romanian and Moldovan airspace in what Bucharest called a “Russian provocation.”

The defense ministry in Bucharest said in a statement that Romanian F-16 and German Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets stationed in Romania were sent to intercept several drones that were tracked near and in the country’s airspace on Tuesday morning. 

Romanian Defense Minister Ionuț Moșteanu, cited by Reuters, said the pilots likely refrained from shooting down the drones over fears of debris causing damage on the ground. 

Moșteanu said: “We are dealing with a new Russian provocation against Romania, a drone which the Romanian army and German Eurofighters have tried to shoot down… My assumption is that [the pilots] analyzed the potential collateral damage and… chose not to engage.” 

Romania, a member of both NATO and the EU, has experienced a number of airspace breaches attributed to Russian drones during the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

The latest incursion was the deepest into Romania thus far, with a drone reaching an area around 100 kilometers inland, and came after Russian drone strikes targeted ports in Ukraine overnight from Monday to Tuesday near the Romanian border, Reuters reported. 

The news agency added that fragments of a drone, without explosives, were discovered on Romanian territory. 

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Moldovan village evacuated 

Moldova, which is not a member of NATO or the EU but borders Ukraine and supports Kyiv in its defense against Russia, also reported airspace breaches by Russian drones on Tuesday morning. 

A statement by Moldova’s defense ministry said six drones entered the country’s airspace, with one falling onto the roof of a building in a village about 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. 

Moldovan authorities, cited by the Kyiv Post, said the village was evacuated while an explosives ordnance unit was dispatched to secure the unexploded drone. 

European Union countries on the bloc’s eastern flank have taken steps to deepen security ties in recent months following a spate of airspace breaches carried out by Russian manned and unmanned aircraft, agreeing in September to establish a defensive “drone wall.” 

Several EU member states bordering Ukraine or Russia, including Romania, are set to hold a first joint summit in Finland next month to discuss defense readiness and threats to European security.