Romania enacts law allowing military to down unauthorized drones

Romania has officially enacted a law allowing its armed forces to shoot down unauthorized drones entering national airspace, following a decree signed by interim president Ilie Bolojan on Monday, May 19. The law was also published in the Official Gazette later the same day, according to Agerpres.

The announcement was made by the Presidential Administration just days before Ilie Bolojan is set to hand over the presidency to newly elected head of state Nicușor Dan, who is expected to take office on either Friday, May 23, or Monday, May 26, Euronews Romania reported.

The law, adopted by the Romanian Parliament in February this year, was upheld by the Constitutional Court on March 27, which unanimously rejected a challenge filed by isolationist parties AUR, SOS, and POT.

The legislation permits the Romanian state to neutralize or destroy any drone that enters the country's airspace without prior authorization. The move comes in response to a series of incidents involving drone incursions since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Several drones have entered or crashed within Romanian territory, raising concerns about national security and the legal limitations on military response.

Previously, the Romanian military could not take action against unauthorized drones during peacetime unless they posed a threat to military facilities or were within designated training zones.

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