On the morning of July 26, a new incident involving a violation of airspace occurred over Romania. A Romanian F-16 fighter jet intercepted and destroyed a Russian drone that had intruded into the national airspace. This was officially announced by Romanian President Nicolae Ciucă.
According to the provided data, the incident took place at 10:13 in the Sulina-Chilia area. The head of state highly praised the actions of the military, noting their professionalism and courage.
"I commend the Romanian pilots and ground crews for the professionalism, courage, and efficiency with which they carry out their tasks. Their actions contribute to the protection of national territory and the safety of Romanian citizens," emphasized Nicolae Ciucă.
Confirmation of Drone Type and Investigation
Based on the results of a preliminary investigation conducted by the General Prosecutor's Office of Romania, the downed drone was identified as a "Shahed." This is a type of drone that Russia actively uses during hostilities against Ukraine.
Currently, authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the appearance of drones in the sky over the country over the last two days. The results of this work will serve as the basis for an official diplomatic protest that Romania intends to send to Russia.
President Ciucă stated that violations of the country's airspace integrity are unacceptable. He emphasized the dual status of the violated territory: it is not only Romania's national sky but also the airspace of NATO and the European Union.
"Such actions are unacceptable, and we treat them with the utmost seriousness together with our allies," the head of state declared.
Series of Incidents and NATO Response
The events of July 26 were a continuation of a series of violations that began earlier. On July 24, around 11:00, a Romanian F-16 shot down a drone that had burst into the country's airspace. At that time, the area was uninhabited, which allowed the pilot to open fire without risk to the civilian population.
In response to the threat, the NATO alliance deployed its forces. Four fighter jets were scrambled: two Romanian F-16s and two Italian Eurofighters. Later, the prosecutor's office confirmed that in this case as well, it was a Russian "Shahed" drone.
On the morning of July 25, the Romanian Air Force also reported shooting down a drone that violated the border during another Russian attack on Ukraine.
Yuriy Ignat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, previously suggested that Russia might be intentionally directing such drones towards NATO countries, attempting to provoke an escalation of the conflict.
