Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets for the fourth consecutive day after a drone violated its airspace, briefly entering the country before crossing into Ukraine where an explosion was reported. The incident marks the latest in a series of aerial intrusions that have heightened tensions along NATO’s eastern flank.
The Romanian army stated that the drone was detected in national airspace for a short period before it crossed the border into Ukraine. Shortly after the incursion, an explosion was heard, though no further details were provided about its cause or location. Two F-16 aircraft were launched from the Fetesti airbase to neutralize the potential threat.
Escalating pattern of airspace violations
This marked the fourth consecutive day of similar incidents, according to the Agerpres news agency. Earlier in the week, three other drone intrusions had been recorded, prompting repeated scrambles of fighter jets. The frequency of violations has raised concerns about security along Romania’s 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine, which it shares in the northeast.
President Nicusor Dan confirmed that a drone shot down on Friday was identified as a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle, a model widely used by Russian forces in the war against Ukraine. The president described the repeated incursions as unacceptable violations of not only Romanian airspace but also that of NATO and the European Union.
Political and legal response
– Dalsze naruszanie przez Federację Rosyjską rumuńskiej przestrzeni powietrznej – będącej jednocześnie przestrzenią powietrzną NATO i Unii Europejskiej – jest niedopuszczalne i niemożliwe do zaakceptowania. Traktujemy takie działania z pełną powagą, wspólnie z naszymi sojusznikami – said President Nicusor Dan in a social media statement on Sunday.
In 2025, the Romanian parliament passed legislation authorizing the authorities to shoot down drones that violate the country’s airspace. The law provides a legal framework for responding to aerial threats, including those originating from the conflict in neighboring Ukraine.
History of incursions and damage
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Romania has recorded 33 airspace violations by Russian drones. In May 2026, a Russian drone struck a residential building in Galati, near the Romanian-Ukrainian border, injuring two people. These repeated incidents underscore the persistent risk posed by drone activity along the frontier.
Źródło: polsatnews.pl, Fot. Polsat News
