Pecohub Romania on Saturday (Sep 13) said that one of its fighter jets detected a drone entering its airspace during Russian strikes on Ukraine — the second NATO country this week to report such an incident after Poland.
According to the Romanian defence ministry, two F-16s were scrambled late Saturday as Russia launched fresh attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The aircraft picked up a drone crossing into Romanian airspace before it disappeared from radar near the border village of Chilia Veche.
The incident comes days after Poland said Russian drones violated its airspace and that it had shot down several, calling the incursions “provocations”. It marked the first known instance of a NATO country firing on drones linked to the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian drone over Romania penetrated about 10 kilometres into NATO territory and remained in the alliance’s airspace for nearly 50 minutes. He called the moves an “obvious expansion of the war by Russia”.
“Today, Romania scrambled combat aircraft because of a Russian drone in its airspace. According to current data, the drone penetrated about 10 kilometres into Romanian territory and operated in NATO airspace for around 50 minutes. Also today, Poland responded militarily to the threat of Russian attack drones.”
“In fact, Russian drones have been in different regions of Ukraine all day, including the northern regions, practically along the border with Belarus. According to preliminary information, Belarusian airspace was also used for entry into Ukraine’s airspace toward Volyn,” he added.
Zelensky said that the “Russian military knows exactly where its drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air.
Their routes are always calculated., adding that “this cannot be a coincidence, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders. It is an obvious expansion of the war by Russia – and this is exactly how they act. Small steps at first, and eventually big losses.”
