Suspected Russian drone shot down in Romanian airspace

On Sunday, an F-18 fighter jet from NATO engaged and shot down a suspected Russian drone that had illegally entered Romanian airspace, according to the country's defense ministry. This marks the fourth such incident over Romania this year. NATO's military headquarters spokesman, US Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, stated that the alliance remains vigilant and prepared to defend itself against any threat.

The drone, believed to be Russian, was detected entering Romanian airspace from neighboring Moldova, 24 kilometers north of the city of Galati, at around 5:01 am. Romania, a NATO member sharing a 614km land border with Ukraine, has reported repeated drone breaches by Russian forces over the past four years. The incident occurred in an uninhabited area between two villages, with drone fragments reportedly falling safely.

In July, Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilots had previously shot down three Russian drones breaching Romanian airspace for the first time since Russia's war in Ukraine began. In May, a Russian drone crashed into an apartment block in Galati during an overnight attack on neighboring Ukraine, injuring two people.