Romania Shoots Down Drone in Its Airspace for First Time Since Ukraine War Began
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BUCHAREST, July 24, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — Romania shot down a drone that entered its airspace on Friday, marking the country’s first successful interception of an unmanned aircraft since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
President Nicusor Dan said a Romanian Air Force pilot destroyed the drone at around 11:00 a.m. local time while flying an F-16 fighter jet.
The aircraft was intercepted over the village of Padina, approximately 114 kilometres from Bucharest, according to Romania’s Defence Ministry.
Dan said the area was uninhabited, allowing the pilot to engage the target safely. Teams from several government institutions were deployed to investigate the incident and recover further information.
Romanian surveillance systems detected the aerial target at 9:39 a.m. Two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets and two Romanian F-16s were subsequently deployed to monitor its movement.
A Romanian F-16 engaged and destroyed the drone at 11:02 a.m., the ministry said.
Romania has recorded dozens of drone incursions since the war in neighbouring Ukraine began, but its armed forces had not previously succeeded in shooting one down.
The latest interception follows a drone strike on a Romanian apartment building in May that injured two people and prompted condemnation from NATO and the European Union.
