Key facts
- Romania shot down a third Russian drone over the Black Sea on Sunday.
- The drone was intercepted 12 km northeast of Sulina, above territorial waters.
- President Nicușor Dan described the repeated airspace violations as "inadmissible and intolerable."
- Romania's foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador over the incidents.
- The drone shot down on Friday was identified as a Shahed-type UAV.
Romanian forces shot down a third Russian drone over the Black Sea on Sunday, marking the latest in a series of airspace violations that President Nicușor Dan deemed "inadmissible and intolerable." The drone was intercepted by an F-16 fighter jet 12 km northeast of the coastal town of Sulina, above territorial waters.
Romania, which shares a 650-km border with Ukraine, has seen repeated incursions by Russian drones amid the ongoing conflict. The defence ministry identified the drone shot down on Friday as a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle commonly used by Russian forces. Investigations into the drones downed on Saturday and Sunday are ongoing.
President Dan stated that such actions are unacceptable and are being treated with utmost seriousness alongside allies. Romania's foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the repeated violations. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan also described the breaches as "unacceptable."
According to the defence ministry, Russian drones have entered Romanian airspace without permission 33 times since the war began. Fragments of the drone downed on Friday have been recovered, while authorities continue to search for pieces of the other two.
U.S. Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters, noted that these shootdowns occur as NATO and member nations are actively acquiring ground-based interceptors to bolster air defence capabilities.