Two Spanish fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace early this morning, according to Romania's Ministry of Defence. The pair of Nato jets were already in the air when they were tasked with intercepting the unmanned aircraft at around 4.45am. About 15 minutes later, the drone was shot down, with the wreckage landing in an unpopulated area between two towns.
Drone entered from Moldova
The ministry did not confirm where the drone originated, but said radars detected it entering Romania – an EU and Nato member – from neighbouring Moldova. Defence Minister Radu Miruţă said in a social media post that his country is 'in the front line of defence of the European Union'. He added: 'Romania is defending its airspace, and our allies stand with us. Vigilance, rapid response, and allied solidarity—these are the concrete guarantees of our security.'
Fourth incident this year
According to news agency Reuters, the latest unmanned aircraft was the fourth shot down in Romania this year. The country has a 382-mile land border with Ukraine, and Russian drones have repeatedly entered its airspace since the war began four-and-a-half years ago.
Recent incidents in the region
In May, a drone from Russia hit a block of flats in the eastern town of Galați, close to the border with Ukraine. Two people were injured in the incident, which also started a fire in the building, prompting an evacuation. Last month, a cruise missile thought to be Russian landed in a field in Poland and left a crater 33 feet wide. Meanwhile, an overnight missile and drone attack on Kryvyi Rih, the Ukrainian hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky, killed a woman and wounded six others. Zelensky posted yesterday that successful missile attacks had hit a Russian electronics manufacturer, airbase, and oil facility deep inside the country.
