Romania denounced Moscow’s “irresponsible actions” after claiming that Russian drones violated Romanian airspace during an attack on nearby Ukraine, urging Bucharest to scramble fighter jets.
According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, the Russian drone used in the attack on Ukraine entered Romania’s airspace at 6:05pm local time on Saturday.
The incident prompted NATO allies to pledge to strengthen the alliance’s east defense a few days after Poland fired down a Russian drone that violated the airspace earlier this week.
The drone was intercepted by two F-16 fighters, carrying out an air patrol mission in north Dobruja, and according to the ministry, it was close to defeating it.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, the drone was on track for about 50 minutes. After that, we leave the national outer space near the town of Pardina in northern Dobruja and head to Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the allegations.
The F-16 fighter jet had intermittent contact with the drones, both visually and radar – the statement said. The pilot was allowed to shoot down it, but after assessing the risk of collateral, he decided not to fire.
“The Ministry of Defense firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation, highlighting its representation of new challenges to the security and stability of the Black Sea region,” the statement said.
The ministry added that the incident demonstrated Russia’s “lack of respect for the norms of international law.” It also puts the safety of Romanian citizens and the collective safety of NATO, the ministry said.
Romanian Foreign Minister summoned Russian ambassador Vladimir Lipayev on Sunday, according to Defense Minister Ionut Mosianu.
Lipaev rejected the Foreign Minister’s statement to him, calling the incident “another provocation of the Kyiv administration,” reported Russian state media Tass.
Kaja Karas, the EU’s high representative for foreign and security policies, has condemned Romania’s airspace violations as “another unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of the EU member states.”
“This continued reckless escalation threatens local security,” wrote Crow in X’s post.
Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky wrote on X Saturday: “Today, Romania is a fighter plane scrambled into the airspace for Russian drones. According to current data, the drone penetrated Romanian territory for about 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) and operated in NATO airspace for about 50 minutes.”
In light of the incident, Zelensky repeatedly called for sanctions against Russia and sanctions against collective defense. “Don’t wait for dozens of ‘shahed’ and ballistic missiles before you make a final decision,” he said.
