Romania F-16s Down Two Drones Over Black Sea Waters

Romanian F-16 fighter jets successfully shot down two drones over the country's territorial waters in the Black Sea on Saturday, according to the defence ministry. This incident follows a series of attacks on chemical tankers near Romania's Black Sea coast, raising concerns about potential threats to commercial shipping in NATO's eastern region.

Both vessels were anchored near the Sulina Canal, a crucial export route for Ukraine, and Romania, which shares a 614-kilometer border with Ukraine, has frequently reported Russian drone incursions into its airspace since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Romania initiated the practice of shooting down such drones earlier this year. The defence ministry reported that the drones entered Romanian waters at 2:59 p.m. GMT and 3:01 p.m. GMT, but did not specify their origin. Separately, two chemical tankers were struck by Russian drones earlier in the week, with at least seven crew members still missing.

Romanian officials are currently searching for the missing individuals. Additionally, at least five other cargo ships have been hit near Romania's and neighboring Bulgaria's coasts in the past ten days, resulting in 23 sailors reported dead or missing, most of which occurred outside NATO territorial waters.

Moldova, located on Romania's northeast border, also reported a new drone crashing in a northern district near the border with Ukraine, with no casualties or damage reported. However, specialists are investigating the drone's origin. The frequency of drone violations in Moldovan airspace has surged in recent months, with five Russian drones falling on Moldovan territory within a little over 17 hours on Thursday and Friday, prompting the foreign ministry to strongly condemn Russia's actions.