A Russian drone may have entered Romanian airspace for “less than three minutes” early Friday during an attack on neighboring Ukraine, Romania’s Ministry of Defense reported.
Russian military drones have repeatedly violated NATO airspace, including Romania, Poland, and Latvia. NATO air forces monitor these incursions without intercepting, aiming to avoid “escalating” Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Romania’s radar system detected the possibility that one of the drones involved in the attack on Ukraine crossed Romanian airspace for a very short period in the border area,” the ministry stated.
In response, Romania scrambled two F-16 fighters and two Spanish F-18 aircraft on an air policing mission. Residents in Tulcea County were warned to seek shelter.
This incident coincided with a drone attack on Izmail, a Ukrainian city bordering Romania. The Odesa regional prosecutor’s office reported three deaths and 14 injuries from this attack.
Romania, a NATO member, shares a 650 km border with Ukraine. Over the past year, Russian drone fragments have repeatedly fallen on Romanian territory.
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