Romania shoots down third Russian drone in three days as NATO member slams airspace violations

Romania has shot down a third Russian drone in its airspace in as many days, with President Nicusor Dan calling the breaches "inadmissible and intolerable." The drone was shot down by an F-16 fighter jet pilot over the Black Sea on Sunday.

The drone was shot down safely, 12 kilometers northeast of the coastal town of Sulina above territorial waters, according to the Defense Ministry. President Dan emphasized that such actions are unacceptable and that Romania treats them with the utmost seriousness, alongside its allies.

This incident is part of a series of breaches of Romania's airspace by Russian drones, with 33 violations reported since the start of the war in Ukraine. NATO is investigating the incident, and U.S. Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters, noted that the shootdowns come as NATO, Romania, and other nations actively acquire ground-based interceptors to enhance allied and national air defense capabilities.

The drone shot down on Friday was identified as a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle commonly used by Russian forces. Romania's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador following these repeated violations. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan called the airspace breaches "unacceptable."

Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta stated on his Facebook page that Romania will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty and airspace but these provocations must stop. Prosecutors have recovered fragments of the drone shot down on Friday but were still looking for pieces of the other two.

Romania shares a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine and Russian drones have repeatedly violated its airspace during the more than four-year Ukraine war. Moscow is now stepping up attacks on Ukrainian ports across the Danube River.

Romania had not destroyed any of the drones until Friday when a Romanian pilot was able to safely bring one down in an uninhabited area. It has now shot down three drones in as many days.

"Such actions are unacceptable, and we treat them with the utmost seriousness, alongside our allies," President Dan wrote on X on Sunday.

Moscow made no immediate public comment on the incidents. NATO said additional details of Sunday's incident were under investigation.

Romania's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Russian ambassador "following these repeated violations." And Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan called the airspace breaches "unacceptable."

The Defense Ministry said that, in Sunday's incident, the drone was shot down safely, 12 kilometers northeast of the coastal town of Sulina above territorial waters.

"Romania will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty and airspace but these provocations must stop," Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta said on his Facebook page.

The Defense Ministry said Russian drones had entered national airspace without permission 33 times since the war started, including Sunday's breach. Prosecutors have recovered fragments of the drone shot down on Friday but were still looking for pieces of the other two.

Romanian forces shot down the third drone in three days on Sunday, prompting President Nicușor Dan to blame Moscow for the "inadmissible and intolerable" incursions. Sunday's incident marked the latest escalation for the NATO member. The series of incursions comes as Russian attacks on Ukraine's Danube region have increasingly spilled over the border.

"Since June, preparations have been under way in Russia’s Voronezh region to receive them,” the Ukrainian president said in a nightly address on Saturday without offering evidence. Earlier, twelve people were killed, including five children, in an overnight drone attack on a holiday camp in a Russian-held part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-installed local authorities said on Saturday, accusing Ukraine of deliberately attacking civilians.

Ukraine is still fortifying its border with Belarus years after Russia invaded from there. More than four years after Russia launched its assault on Kyiv from Belarus, Ukraine is still fortifying the border it shares with Moscow's ally. What was once a busy crossing between the two countries is now a quiet, mine-laden stretch of land closed off to civilians. Roads near the 1,084-kilometer-long border are covered for long distances by anti-drone netting. The surrounding landscape is dominated by rows of razor wire and concrete anti-tank barriers known as “dragon’s teeth.”

The Associated Press visited parts of the border in northern Ukraine earlier this month, following a rise in tensions between the two countries; Ukraine demanded that Belarus shut down communications relay stations Russia had installed to boost the range of its drones attacking Ukrainian cities.

The Ukrainian capital Kyiv came under ballistic missile attack from Russian forces early on Sunday, while other regions suffered bombardments later during the day that killed two people.

Romanian forces shot down a third drone that had entered its national air space in as many days, prompting President Nicușor Dan to blame Moscow for the "inadmissible and intolerable" incursions. Sunday's incident marked the latest escalation for the NATO member. The series of incursions comes as Russian attacks on Ukraine's Danube region have increasingly spilled over the border.

"It is inadmissible and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania's airspace, which is, at the same time, NATO airspace and European Union airspace," Dan said on Sunday.

A Romanian fighter jet on Sunday shot down a third drone that had entered its national air space in as many days, prompting President Nicușor Dan to blame Moscow for the "inadmissible and intolerable" incursions. Sunday's incident marked the latest escalation for the NATO member.

The series of incursions comes as Russian attacks on Ukraine's Danube region have increasingly spilled over the border. "It is inadmissible and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania's airspace, which is, at the same time, NATO airspace and European Union airspace," Dan said on Sunday.

Romania's F-16 shot down another drone over territorial waters near Sulina-Khilia this morning, the third in three days. Friday's drone confirmed as a Russian Shahed. A diplomatic protest against Russia is coming, President Dan says.

Romania slams Russia as third drone shot down. Romanian forces shoot down third drone in three days. The Romanian Prosecutor General's Office has determined that a drone intercepted by Romanian forces on Friday was of the Shahed-type used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, officials have said.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan has reported that another drone has been shot down over the country's territory by the Romanian Air Force – the third such incident in the past three days.

A Romanian fighter jet on Sunday shot down the third drone flying into the country's airspace in as many days, the defence minister said. A government investigation reportedly identified the first of the three drones as a Shahed model used by Russia in its war with Ukraine.

The Romanian Prosecutor General's Office has determined that a drone intercepted by Romanian forces on Friday was of the Shahed-type used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, officials have said.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Russian ambassador after Romanian fighter jets shot down the third drone to violate the country's airspace in the past three days.

Romania summoned the Russian ambassador over downed drones, Foreign Minister Oana Toiu says, calling Russia's airspace violations unacceptable for a NATO and EU member state.

Romania has shot down a third Russian drone as President calls breaches intolerable. A Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilot shot down a Russian drone over the Black Sea, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday, the latest in a series of breaches of the NATO member's airspace that President Nicusor Dan called "inadmissible and intolerable."

Romania shares a 650-kilometer (400-mile) land border with Ukraine and Russian drones have repeatedly violated its airspace during the more than four-year Ukraine war. Moscow is now stepping up attacks on Ukrainian ports across the Danube River.

Romania had not destroyed any of the drones until Friday when a Romanian pilot was able to safely bring one down in an uninhabited area. It has now shot down three drones in as many days.

"It is inadmissible and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania's airspace, which is, at the same time, NATO airspace and European Union airspace," Dan wrote on X on Sunday. "Such actions are unacceptable, and we treat them with the utmost seriousness, alongside our allies," he said.

Moscow made no immediate public comment on the incidents. NATO said additional details of Sunday's incident were under investigation.

"The shootdowns come as NATO, Romania, and other nations actively acquire ground-based interceptors to enhance allied and national air defense capabilities," said U.S. Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters.

Dan said Romania had identified Friday's drone as a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle commonly used by Russian forces and investigations of those shot down on Saturday and Sunday were ongoing.

Romania's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Russian ambassador "following these repeated violations." And Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan called the airspace breaches "unacceptable."

The Defense Ministry said that, in Sunday's incident, the drone was shot down safely, 12 kilometers northeast of the coastal town of Sulina above territorial waters.

"Romania will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty and airspace but these provocations must stop," Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta said on his Facebook page.

The Defense Ministry said Russian drones had entered national airspace without permission 33 times since the war started, including Sunday's breach. Prosecutors have recovered fragments of the drone shot down on Friday but were still looking for pieces of the other two.

Romanian forces shot down the third drone in three days on Sunday, prompting President Nicușor Dan to blame Moscow for the "inadmissible and intolerable" incursions. Sunday's incident marked the latest escalation for the NATO member.

The series of incursions comes as Russian attacks on Ukraine's Danube region have increasingly spilled over the border. "It is inadmissible and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania's airspace, which is, at the same time, NATO airspace and European Union airspace," Dan said on Sunday.

A Romanian fighter jet on Sunday shot down a third drone that had entered its national air space in as many days, prompting President Nicușor Dan to blame Moscow for the "inadmissible and intolerable" incursions. Sunday's incident marked the latest escalation for the NATO member.

The series of incursions comes as Russian attacks on Ukraine's Danube region have increasingly spilled over the border. "It is inadmissible and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania's airspace, which is, at the same time, NATO airspace and European Union airspace," Dan said on Sunday.

Romania's F-16 shot down another drone over territorial waters near Sulina-Khilia this morning, the third in three days. Friday's drone confirmed as a Russian Shahed. A diplomatic protest against Russia is coming, President Dan says.

Romania slams Russia as third drone shot down. Romanian forces shoot down third drone in three days. The Romanian Prosecutor General's Office has determined that a drone intercepted by Romanian forces on Friday was of the Shahed-type used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, officials have said.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan has reported that another drone has been shot down over the country's territory by the Romanian Air Force – the third such incident in the past three days.

A Romanian fighter jet on Sunday shot down the third drone flying into the country's airspace in as many days, the defence minister said. A government investigation reportedly identified the first of the three drones as a Shahed model used by Russia in its war with Ukraine.

The Romanian Prosecutor General's Office has determined that a drone intercepted by Romanian forces on Friday was of the Shahed-type used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, officials have said.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Russian ambassador after Romanian fighter jets shot down the third drone to violate the country's airspace in the past three days.

Romania summoned the Russian ambassador over downed drones, Foreign Minister Oana Toiu says, calling Russia's airspace violations unacceptable for a NATO and EU member state.

Romania has shot down a third Russian drone as President calls breaches intolerable. A Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilot shot down a Russian drone over the Black Sea, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday, the latest in a series of breaches of the NATO member's airspace that President Nicusor Dan called "inadmissible and intolerable."

Romania shares a 650-kilometer (400-mile) land border with Ukraine and Russian drones have repeatedly violated its airspace during the more than four-year Ukraine war. Moscow is now stepping up attacks on Ukrainian ports across the Danube River.

Romania had not destroyed any of the drones until Friday when a Romanian pilot was able to safely bring one down in an uninhabited area. It has now shot down three drones in as many days.

"It is inadmissible and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania's airspace, which is, at the same time, NATO airspace and European Union airspace," Dan wrote on X on Sunday. "Such actions are unacceptable, and we treat them with the utmost seriousness, alongside our allies," he said.

Moscow made no immediate public comment on the incidents. NATO said additional details of Sunday's incident were under investigation.

"The shootdowns come as NATO, Romania, and other nations actively acquire ground-based interceptors to enhance allied and national air defense capabilities," said U.S. Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters.

Dan said Romania had identified Friday's drone as a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle commonly used by Russian forces and investigations of those shot down on Saturday and Sunday were ongoing.

Romania's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Russian ambassador "following these repeated violations." And Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan called the airspace breaches "unacceptable."

The Defense Ministry said that, in Sunday's incident, the drone was shot down safely, 12 kilometers northeast of the coastal town of Sulina above territorial waters.

"Romania will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty and airspace but these provocations must stop," Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta said on his Facebook page.

The Defense Ministry said Russian drones had entered national airspace without permission 33 times since the war started, including Sunday's breach. Prosecutors have recovered fragments of the drone shot down on Friday but were still looking for pieces of the other two.