Another drone entered Romanian airspace near Galați early on Thursday, August 20, before crashing in an unpopulated area near Grindu, Tulcea County, the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) announced. No casualties or property damage were reported.

The ministry said its radar surveillance system detected a group of aerial targets near the Ukrainian border at 2:23 a.m. 

Two F-18 aircraft belonging to the Spanish Air and Space Forces were scrambled to monitor the situation. A Romanian Air Force IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter also took off on an aerial reconnaissance mission.

The National Military Command Center notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations that alert measures should be introduced for residents in the affected area. Thus, an RO-Alert warning was issued at 3:20 a.m.

“At 3:21 a.m., a drone entered national airspace approximately 13 kilometers east of Galați,” the ministry said.

Three minutes later, the crew of the Romanian helicopter reported that the target had fallen about four kilometers northeast of Grindu, in an unpopulated area.

“The impact of the aerial vehicle with the ground was followed by a fire that extinguished itself. No casualties or property damage were reported,” MApN added.

A military team was dispatched to secure the crash site. The air alert ended at 3:52 a.m.

The incident follows several other drone incursions since the war in Ukraine began, with the most recent reported less than a week earlier. 

On August 16, a drone entered Romania from the Republic of Moldova approximately 24 kilometers north of Galați and was shot down by a Spanish F-18 operating from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base. Moldovan authorities reportedly identified that drone as a Shahed 138, also known as Geran-2, and said it had crossed Moldova after arriving from Ukrainian territory.

Another drone crashed in a wooded area near Luncavița, Tulcea County, on August 14, around five kilometers from the Ukrainian border. No casualties were reported in that incident.

According to MApN data, Romania has recorded 42 unauthorized drone incursions since the start of the war in neighbouring Ukraine, including 24 in 2026. Military aircraft have been scrambled in 78 cases, while 64 drones or drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory. Four drones were shot down, all this year.

The ministry noted that its categories are not cumulative, meaning the same incident may appear under several categories.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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