A Romanian F-16 fighter jet intercepted and shot down an unidentified drone that penetrated the country’s airspace on Saturday morning, July 25, marking the second such incident in two days.
The Ministry of National Defense reported that radar surveillance systems detected the drone in the border area with Ukraine at 8:22 a.m. local time.
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Two Romanian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons, operating under an air policing mission, were scrambled to intercept the target. According to the ministry, the aircraft executed standard identification and neutralization procedures, bringing the drone down in an unpopulated area.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan confirmed the operation, stating that the drone was intercepted approximately 10 kilometers west of the city of Sfântu Gheorghe at around 8:30 a.m.
The defense ministry noted that the pilot responsible for Saturday’s interception was the same individual who shot down a separate drone near the city of Buzău the previous day.
Ministry specialist teams have been dispatched to the crash site to conduct an investigation. The defense ministry stated that it is continuously monitoring the airspace and maintaining close contact with allied structures.
În această dimineață, la ora 8:30, o nouă dronă a fost doborâtă în spațiul aerian românesc, la 10 km vest de localitatea Sfântu Gheorghe (Delta). Drona a fost doborâtă de un pilot român dintr-un avion F-16.
— Nicușor Dan (@NicusorDanRO) July 25, 2026
First interception on Friday
Saturday’s incident followed a joint operation on Friday, July 24, during which a Romanian F-16 destroyed a suspected Shahed-type drone over Buzău County.
Radar systems detected the initial aerial target on Friday at 9:39 a.m. local time, roughly 20 kilometers east of Sulina on the Black Sea coast. The drone subsequently entered Romanian airspace, traveling over Sulina, Brăila, and Fetești.
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Two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons deployed at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base under NATO’s Air Policing mission were scrambled at 9:48 a.m., followed by two Romanian F-16s from the 86th Air Base at Fetești at 10:56 a.m.
Chief of Defense Gen. Gheorghiță Vlad stated that the Italian aircraft engaged the drone but failed to destroy it. A Romanian F-16 then fired an air-to-air missile, destroying the target at 11:02 a.m. near Padina in Buzău County. The fragments fell into a wheat field, causing no casualties or damage.
NATO’s Allied Air Command confirmed the joint operation, emphasizing the rapid response of the allied forces. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing to determine the origin of the drones.
Gen. Vlad indicated that pilots visually assessed Friday’s drone as resembling a Shahed type, which Russian forces frequently use in attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Romania has reported multiple instances of drones entering its airspace since the onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
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