A Romanian F-16 downed an unidentified drone violating the country’s airspace at around 11 a.m., according to Romanian President Nicușor Dan.
In his X update, Dan said the F-16 shot down the drone “without any risk” over an unpopulated area, adding that details would follow after the ongoing investigation.
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“This morning, around 11:00 a.m., a Romanian pilot in an F-16 aircraft shot down a drone that had entered our country’s airspace,” he wrote.
“The area was uninhabited, so the pilot was able to fire without any risk involved. Currently, teams from institutions with relevant responsibilities are investigating the area to provide all the details about the incident,” he added.
Around the time of the incident, the Ukrainian Air Force said multiple drones and Banderol cruise missiles – known for their reliance on foreign parts, particularly the “AliExpress jet engines” – were detected in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region, which shares a border with Romania.
Romania has frequently scrambled its F-16s as Russian drones strayed into the country’s airspace. But in May, a Russian drone struck a residential building in Galați, a southeastern Romanian city near the Ukrainian border, which triggered a fire and injured 2 people.
The incident sparked widespread debate over how NATO should respond and triggered a diplomatic spat between Bucharest and Moscow. Romania closed Russia’s consulate in Constanța and expelled the Russian consul general, while Russia responded by closing Romania’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg.
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