A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that entered the country’s airspace from the Black Sea on Friday, marking the third such incursion in two months. President Nicusor Dan confirmed the interception over an unpopulated area near Padina, about 90 kilometers northeast of Bucharest, and said an investigation has been launched.
The Romanian Defense Ministry reported that the drone was detected by radar over the Black Sea earlier in the morning and tracked as it moved westward toward the port of Sulina. An air-to-air missile was used to destroy the unmanned aerial vehicle, which did not cause any casualties or damage.
The incident follows two earlier breaches: on June 5, a Ukrainian naval drone exploded near an oil terminal in Constanta, and on May 29, a Russian-made Geran-2 drone crashed into an apartment building in Galati. Romania has not yet assigned blame for the latest incursion.
Dan’s response to previous incidents has varied. He did not formally protest the Ukrainian drone incident, calling it an unfortunate consequence of Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression. However, after the Geran-2 crash, he closed the Russian consulate in Constanta and invoked NATO’s Article 4. The latest event is likely to further strain regional security dynamics.
Article and image source: russiaherald.com
