Russian drones breached Romanian airspace on Saturday during a large-scale assault on Ukraine, prompting a swift response from Bucharest. Romania, a NATO and EU member state, confirmed the violation through its defence ministry.
Officials said two F-16 fighter jets were placed on alert after a drone crossed about 10 kilometres into Romanian territory, remaining undetected for nearly 50 minutes before vanishing from radar. The drone was spotted southwest of Chilia Veche, near the Danube Delta.
Although the incursion did not affect populated areas or endanger civilians directly, authorities issued shelter warnings in Tulcea region. “The drone did not fly over inhabited areas and did not pose an immediate danger to the population,” the defence ministry said.
Similar incidents were reported in neighbouring Poland, where authorities briefly shut down Lublin airport and deployed national and allied aircraft in response to suspected Russian drone activity. Polish forces, with NATO air support, have previously intercepted drones violating their airspace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of deliberately expanding the war into NATO territory, warning: “Do not wait for dozens of ‘Shaheds’ and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions.”
NATO has pledged to reinforce its eastern flank, while Romania earlier passed legislation permitting the military to shoot down drones illegally entering its airspace. However, enforcement has been delayed pending operational protocols.
The repeated violations have heightened concerns of an escalation that could draw NATO directly into confrontation with Russia.
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