Romania has condemned Moscow’s “irresponsible actions” after alleging that a Russian drone breached its airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine, prompting Bucharest to scramble fighter jets.
According to Romania’s defense ministry, the drone entered the country’s airspace at 6:05 p.m. local time on Saturday and orbited for nearly 50 minutes before leaving near the town of Pardina in northern Dobruja, heading back toward Ukraine.
Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets on air patrol in the region intercepted the drone and tracked it both visually and by radar. Pilots were authorized to shoot it down but refrained after assessing the risk of collateral damage.
Strong condemnation from Bucharest
“The Ministry of National Defense firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation and emphasizes that they represent a new challenge to regional security and stability in the Black Sea area,” the ministry said.
Officials further stressed that the incursion endangered Romanian citizens and violated international law, undermining NATO’s collective security.
Diplomatic fallout with Moscow
Romania’s foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador, Vladimir Lipaev, on Sunday. Lipaev dismissed the accusations, calling the incident “another provocation of the Kyiv regime,” according to Russian state media TASS.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas denounced the violation as “yet another unacceptable breach of an EU member state’s sovereignty,” warning that such reckless escalations threaten regional security. “We stand in solidarity with Romania,” she wrote on X.
The incident came just days after Poland shot down Russian drones that had violated its airspace earlier in the week. The repeated breaches have prompted NATO allies to strengthen defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also weighed in, noting that the drone penetrated about 10 kilometers into Romanian territory and remained in NATO airspace for nearly an hour. He urged stronger sanctions against Moscow, stressing: “Do not wait for dozens of ‘Shaheds’ and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions.”
