Romania summons Russian envoy after third drone is shot down
Romania said an F-16 downed a drone over the Black Sea, the third such interception in three days, and called in Russia’s ambassador.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Romania Russian drone tensions escalated Sunday after Bucharest said an F-16 fighter jet shot down an unmanned aircraft that entered national airspace over the Black Sea. The Romanian Ministry of Defence reported the interception, the third such incident in as many days.
Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said on social media that Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador to protest what she called repeated violations. The incidents have sharpened concern that Russia’s war in Ukraine is spilling into neighboring NATO territory.
Why did Romania summon Russia's ambassador?
Romania called in the Russian envoy after drones entered its airspace on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, according to Romanian officials. President Nicusor Dan said an investigation found the Friday drone was a Shahed model used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defence said Sunday’s incursion ended when a Romanian F-16 destroyed the aircraft over the Black Sea. Al Jazeera, citing Romanian officials and news agencies, reported that Friday marked Romania’s first interception of a Russian drone.
The repeated drone crossings have added pressure on NATO’s eastern flank. Romania is a member of both NATO and the European Union, meaning an airspace violation there also raises alliance security concerns.
US Army Colonel Martin O’Donnell, a senior NATO military spokesperson, said on social media that it was “unacceptable and intolerable” for Russia to keep violating Romanian airspace. He said Romania, NATO and other countries are acquiring ground-based interceptors to strengthen allied and national air defences.
How often have drones crossed into NATO territory near Ukraine?
Al Jazeera reported that Romania and other countries in the region have faced frequent drone incursions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The risk has grown as Russia and Ukraine send hundreds of drones into the air on some days.
Romania has already reported several serious incidents this year. In late May, Al Jazeera reported that a drone hit an apartment building in Galati, injuring two people, in what it described as the first such strike on a populated area in a NATO country.
Last month, a maritime drone exploded in Romania’s Constanta port, according to the same reporting. The Baltic states have also reported repeated airspace violations in recent months, and Al Jazeera reported that drone-related disputes contributed to the collapse of Latvia’s government in May.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said Moscow’s “reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” while US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has said the alliance will defend its territory. Those remarks came amid rising concern about whether stray or deliberate incursions could draw NATO members closer to the war.
What else happened in the Russia-Ukraine war Sunday?
Russia and Ukraine continued launching large drone and missile attacks against each other. Ballistic missiles hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight into Sunday, killing two people and wounding at least three, according to reports cited by Al Jazeera.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the Kyiv attack hit sites connected to drone production. The ministry has repeatedly said it does not target civilians.
In Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, officials said a Ukrainian drone strike killed four civilians in Horlivka. Ivan Prikhodko, the city’s Russian-appointed mayor, said Horlivka came under fire early Sunday.
Russia’s Defence Ministry also said it shot down 133 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russia, the Black Sea and Crimea.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.