Russian Drone Penetrates Romanian Airspace, Raising NATO Alert
BUCHAREST, Romania – A Russian drone flew approximately 100 kilometers into Romanian airspace on November 25, 2025, triggering a scramble of NATO fighter jets and raising concerns about the escalating risks of the conflict in Ukraine. This marks the deepest incursion of a drone linked to the war into a NATO member state to date.
The incident occurred following a large-scale drone and missile attack on Ukraine, with drones initially detected flying over Moldova. Romanian military officials confirmed the drone’s extended flight path, stating it was tracked for several hours by two German Eurofighter Typhoons and two romanian F-16 fighters before disappearing from radar, presumed to have crashed in the Galati County area. This event underscores the potential for miscalculation and escalation as the war in Ukraine continues.
According to the Ukrainian air Force, the drones where launched from Russian-occupied Crimea. Prior to the incursion into Romania, the romanian armed forces detected drones near the Ukrainian border, prompting the deployment of fighter aircraft, including the german Eurofighters.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense reports that, as the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, fragments of 40 drones have fallen within Romanian territory. While previous incidents involved debris, this is the first confirmed instance of a drone maintaining flight for a notable distance within NATO airspace.
Moldova also reported the detection of six drones in its airspace, with at least one landing on a rooftop within the contry. The incidents highlight the widening geographic impact of the conflict and the challenges of securing borders in the region.
