Romanian Air Force Intercepts Drone, Raising Concerns of War Expansion
Romania scrambled fighter jets on Saturday after detecting a drone in its national airspace, near its border with Ukraine. Two F-16s were initially deployed, followed by two Eurofighters participating in German air policing missions, according to the Romanian Defense Ministry. Residents in the southeastern county of Tulcea, close to the Danube River and the Ukrainian border, were advised to seek shelter.
The drone was tracked by the jets until it disappeared from radar approximately 20 kilometers southwest of the village of Chilia Veche. A search for potential drone fragments will be conducted by helicopter near the border, tho initial assessments suggest the drone exited Romanian airspace and continued towards Ukraine.
ukrainian President volodymyr Zelenskiy stated data indicated the drone penetrated Romanian territory for roughly 10 kilometers and remained in NATO airspace for around 50 minutes. He characterized the incident as a deliberate expansion of the war by Russia, calling for increased sanctions, tariffs on Russian trade, and a strengthening of collective defence measures.
The incident follows similar events in Poland,where russian drones recently entered its airspace,prompting the deployment of Polish aircraft and the closure of an airport in Lublin. Poland, with NATO support, shot down the drones. Romania has also repeatedly found fragments of Russian drones on its territory since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Romanian lawmakers previously approved legislation allowing the military to shoot down drones illegally entering Romanian airspace during peacetime, based on assessed threat levels. Though, full enforcement rules for this law are still under development.
In a separate development,Ukrainian drones attacked the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s northwest,causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished. Russian officials reported three drones were destroyed, and no injuries were reported. Ukraine’s drone command confirmed obligation for the attack, targeting one of Russia’s largest refineries, Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishinefteorgsintez. The extent of any damage to the refinery remains unconfirmed.
