NATO believes the drone shot down over Romania was Russian

An F-18 fighter jet from the Spanish contingent of NATO shot down a drone that had violated Romanian airspace. According to NATO’s preliminary assessment, the drone was likely Russian.

According to Reuters, U.S. Army Colonel Martin O’Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO’s military headquarters, stated that preliminary data suggests the drone was likely Russian. The exact circumstances of the incident are still being determined.

As a reminder, the incident occurred on the morning of August 16. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, the drone was detected by radar after it entered the country’s airspace from the direction of Moldova. The target was detected approximately 24 kilometers north of the city of Galați.

An F-18 participating in the NATO mission to patrol Romanian airspace established radar contact with the target and, after receiving authorization to engage, shot it down at 5:01 a.m. local time.

The drone’s wreckage fell in an uninhabited area between two settlements.

The Romanian Ministry of Defense has not yet disclosed the drone’s origin. 

This is the fourth drone shot down over Romanian territory this year. In July, Romanian F-16s shot down three Russian drones for the first time after they violated the country’s airspace.

Romania is a NATO member and shares a 614-kilometer land border with Ukraine. In recent years, the country has repeatedly reported incidents of Russian drones entering its airspace.

NATO stated that the Alliance is constantly monitoring the situation and is ready to respond to any threats.

Андрій Колісніченко