The Romanian prosecution has officially confirmed the origin of the unmanned aerial vehicle that was shot down over the country's territory on July 24. According to data provided to RBC-Ukraine citing the Romanian edition of Euronews, the prosecution of the Ploiești Court of Appeal established that the drone destroyed in the Pădina area (Buzău county) is a Russian-made 'Shahed' type.
Official confirmation and launch of investigation
The conclusions of the law enforcement agencies fully coincide with the results of the expertise conducted by specialists from the Romanian Ministry of Defense. Based on these facts, prosecutors have initiated a criminal case. The qualification of the offense is indicated as a crime related to the operation of an aircraft in a prohibited zone, which directly violates the provisions of the Romanian Air Code.
Incident details: a miss and debris
The investigation faced the need for a detailed analysis not only of the fact of the intrusion but also of the circumstances of its interception. During the interception operation, Italian pilots managing Eurofighter Typhoon fighters fired a missile, which, however, missed the target. The spent munition fell to the ground in Brăila county, creating a crater.
In the Pădina area, field teams were able to locate debris from the drone, as well as remnants of the interceptor missile. All found fragments were collected by the military and handed over for in-depth expertise.
Chronology of events and authorities' reaction
The incident itself occurred on July 24 at approximately 11:00 local time. The event was officially announced by the President of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă (Note: The source text mentions 'Nicusor Dan', but contextually regarding military airspace incidents in 2024/2025, this is likely a confusion with the Defense Minister or a specific report; however, strictly translating the provided text: 'Nicusor Dan'). According to him, the country's airspace was violated by a drone that was shot down by a Romanian F-16 fighter jet. The head of state emphasized that the crash site was in an uninhabited area, which allowed the pilot to open fire without creating a threat to the lives of civilians.
This case became a continuation of a series of tense events on the border. Earlier, in May 2026, Romania officially appealed to NATO to accelerate the delivery of air defense systems. The reason for such a request was a strike by a Russian drone on an apartment building in the city of Galați, located in immediate proximity to the Ukrainian border.
