Update: Romania's Chief of Defense, General Gheorghiță Vlad, said the decision to engage the drone was taken within NATO's Air Policing mission, as the incident unfolded amid a complex security situation in the Black Sea region, including Russian attacks on southern Ukraine and the earlier incident involving a coal ship, Biziday.ro reported.

According to the military, the drone was initially engaged by two Italian Eurofighter Typhoon jets deployed to Romania under NATO's Air Policing mission, but the missile missed its target. Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets that had taken off from Fetești later shot down the drone over an uninhabited area in Buzău county.

The drone was tracked continuously for more than an hour from the moment it entered Romanian airspace. The military officials explained that it could not be engaged earlier because visual identification was required and the aircraft had to wait until the target reached an area where there was no risk to the civilian population.

The officials added that the drone did not fly near military bases or the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. Based on the pilots' observations, it appeared to be a Shahed-type drone, which typically carries an explosive payload, although its exact origin and whether it was armed have not yet been confirmed. Search teams are continuing to recover the drone's remains as well as the Romanian and Italian missiles fired during the operation.

In separate news, interim defense minister Radu Miruță told Euronews Romania that the drone shot down near Padina was "one of the standard drones the Russians use to carry out various operations" in Ukraine.

Initial story: A Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that entered the country's airspace on Friday morning, July 24, marking the first time Romania has intercepted and destroyed a drone over its own territory. President Nicușor Dan and interim defense minister Radu Miruțǎ confirmed the incident.

“In around 11:00 this morning, a Romanian pilot flying an F-16 shot down a drone that had entered our country's airspace. The area was uninhabited, so the pilot was able to fire without any risk. Teams from the relevant institutions are now investigating the area to establish all the details of the incident," president Dan announced.

Providing additional details, minister Radu Miruță said the drone, whose origin has not yet been identified, was detected by the Ministry of National Defense's surveillance systems, triggering the country's air defense procedures.

"Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft deployed under NATO's Air Policing mission were scrambled immediately. Shortly afterwards, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets, authorized to engage the target, also took off," the minister said.

"After tracking the target, a Romanian Air Force F-16 engaged and shot down the drone over an uninhabited area in Buzău county," he added, congratulating the Romanian pilots for their "professionalism, composure and rapid response.” 

According to the Ministry of Defense's official announcement, radar systems detected the aerial target at 9:39 a.m., approximately 20 km east of Sulina, after it entered Romanian airspace on a flight path toward Brăila, Fetești, and Buzău. The F-16 from the 86th Air Base tasked with monitoring and tracking the drone engaged the target with a missile at 11:02 a.m., shooting it down over an uninhabited area near the village of Padina in Buzău county.

Radu Miruță also said the incident underscored the need for continued investment in Romania's air defense capabilities.

“This is why I have consistently argued that Romania must invest in air defense, counter-drone capabilities and the modernization of the armed forces. Today's threats are no longer the same as those of ten years ago, and our responsibility is to be prepared before they turn into crises," he said.

The interception comes two months after another milestone for Romania’s air force. In May, a Romanian F-16 deployed as part of NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission in the Baltic region shot down a drone in Estonian airspace, marking the first such interception by the Romanian Air Force's "Carpathian Vipers" detachment.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Ministerul Apararii Nationale, archive, Laurențiu Turoi)