NATO’s air defences “effective yet again,” says Mark Rutte after Romanian F-16 downs drone over Estonia

NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said the alliance’s air defenses “were effective yet again” after Romanian F-16 fighter jets participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a drone over Estonia this week. He added that the incident was another consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Speaking ahead of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsingborg on Wednesday, May 20, Rutte referred to Tuesday’s incident in which a Romanian F-16 Fighting Falcon operating from NATO’s Baltic mission intercepted and destroyed a drone that entered Estonian airspace.

“We continue to see the impacts of the war Russia is raging against Ukraine. Just yesterday, as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing, Romanian F-16s downed a drone over Estonia. This was a Ukrainian drone, but it wouldn't have been there but for Russia's aggression,” Rutte said.

“The key is that NATO's air defences were effective yet again and we will continue to improve our capacity to address any threat to our territory or to our people,” he added.

Responding to questions from journalists about recent drone incidents in the Baltic region, Mark Rutte said the alliance had reacted exactly as planned.

“This is exactly what we planned and prepared for: a calm, decisive, and proportionate response to these drone incursions,” he said, adding that drones entering Baltic airspace were a result of Russia’s “reckless, illegal, full-scale attack” on Ukraine.

Two Romanian F-16 aircraft from the “Carpathian Vipers” detachment were scrambled on May 19 following an alert issued by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany. According to Romanian authorities, the pilots completed all identification and engagement procedures before launching an air-to-air missile that destroyed the drone.

Interim defense minister Radu Miruță later identified the pilot involved as Commander Pavelescu Costel-Alexandru and said the operation had been praised by NATO allies, including Estonian defense minister Hanno Pevkur.

The Romanian Air Force detachment, composed of around 100 personnel and six F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, is currently deployed at Šiauliai Air Base as part of NATO’s enhanced Baltic Air Policing mission running from April to July 2026.

(Photo source: Nato.int)