An F-18 fighter on a NATO air policing mission shot down a drone that illegally breached Romanian national airspace, the fourth unmanned aircraft shot down over the country this year, Romania's Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
A spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters, U.S. Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, said the alliance is constantly on watch and prepared to defend itself from any threat.
"Additional details regarding Sunday’s incident remain under investigation, but the drone appears to be Russian," he said.
NATO member Romania shares a 614 kilometers (381 miles) land border with Ukraine and has reported repeated breaches of its airspace by Russian drones over the past four years, as well as mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade and energy routes.
Romania's Defense Ministry did not specify the origin of the drone, saying it was detected by radar as it entered the country from neighboring Moldova, 24 kilometers north of the southeastern Romanian city of Galati.
The F-18 jet, part of a Spanish NATO contingent deployed in Romania, "made radar contact with the target and received permission to engage," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the drone was shot down safely at 5:01 a.m.
The ministry said that fragments from the destroyed drone appeared to have fallen in an uninhabited area between two villages.
In July, Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilots shot down three Russian drones breaching national airspace for the first time after dozens of such incursions since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine.
In May, a Russian drone crashed into an apartment block in Galati during an overnight attack on neighboring Ukraine, injuring two people.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
