Drone briefly enters Romanian airspace on fourth consecutive day of incursions

Another drone briefly entered Romanian airspace on Monday morning, July 27, before flying to Ukraine, prompting the Romanian Air Force to scramble two F-16 fighter jets and authorities to issue a RO-Alert warning to residents in Tulcea County. Unlike the previous three incidents, the drone was not shot down.

The Ministry of National Defense said its radar surveillance system detected the aerial target east of Sulina. Two F-16 fighter jets from the 86th Air Base in Borcea took off at 8:53 a.m. to monitor the situation, while the National Military Command Centre instructed the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations to send a RO-Alert message to residents in Tulcea County at 8:47 a.m.

“The target briefly entered Romanian airspace before crossing the border and heading toward Ukraine. Shortly afterwards, explosions were reported on Ukrainian territory,” the ministry said.

Monday’s incident marks the fourth consecutive day in which a drone has entered Romanian airspace. The previous three drones, which crossed into the country on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, were intercepted and shot down by Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jets.

Following Friday's incident, president Nicușor Dan said the drone destroyed that day was a Russian Shahed model and announced that Romania would lodge a diplomatic protest with Russia.

Separately, interim foreign minister Oana Țoiu told Digi24 that Romania has the option of invoking Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, under which any NATO member can request consultations whenever it considers its security or territorial integrity to be under threat.

Țoiu also said Romania's decision to summon the Russian ambassador to Bucharest was a diplomatic protest, noting that similar steps had been taken in the past, including after a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in Galați a few weeks ago.

(Photo source: Facebook/Ministerul Apararii, byLaurențiu Turoi)