Drone Incursion Over Romania Prompts Condemnation, EU Sanctions Call
A Russian Shahed drone violated Romanian airspace on September 13, remaining inside NATO territory for close to 50 minutes before turning back toward Ukraine.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Antena 3 CNN.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed the drone was detected at 18:23 and shadowed by two F-16 fighter jets from the 86th Air Base.
The aircraft tracked the unmanned aerial vehicle until it exited Romanian airspace about 20 kilometers southwest of Chilia Veche, near the Danube.
Two German Eurofighter jets were also airborne at the time. Officials emphasized that the drone did not pass over inhabited areas and posed no immediate danger to civilians.
Defense Minister Ionuț Moșteanu told Antena 3 CNN that the F-16s had been prepared to engage if necessary. “The drone was flying very low. At one stage it turned back toward Ukraine. Based on the data we have, it left Romanian territory and returned to Ukraine,” he said, noting that similar incursions occur almost weekly in the Izmail, Vilkovo, and northern Dobruja areas.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu condemned the incursion as “unacceptable and reckless.”
Writing on X, she stressed that while the population was never at risk, Romania “will take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and security.”
She also urged the European Union to swiftly adopt its 19th sanctions package against Russia and announced plans to raise the issue at the UN General Assembly, calling for tougher global enforcement of sanctions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the drone penetrated up to 10 kilometers into Romanian territory and remained inside NATO’s airspace for nearly an hour. “This is not an accident or a mistake. It is a deliberate expansion of the war by Russia,” he warned.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský echoed this view, posting on X that Russia “continues to provoke” and “must pay a price for its provocations against NATO.”
As The Gaze previously reported, NATO launched operation Eastern Sentry to strengthen the defense of Europe's eastern flank after Russian drones invaded Polish airspace earlier this week.