An unmanned aerial vehicle was intercepted in Romania’s skies once more; this time, a Spanish F-18 neutralized the target. Debris landed far from inhabited areas, and no casualties were reported.
Drone flies into Romania again / © AFP
A Spanish F-18 fighter jet, engaged in a NATO air patrol mission, intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle within the airspace of Romania. This marks the fourth such occurrence since the beginning of the year, according to Romania’s Ministry of Defense.
Reuters reports on this incident.
Drone Shot Down Again in Romania: Details Emerge
Radar systems detected the drone’s entry from the direction of Moldova, approximately 24 kilometers north of Galați. After receiving authorization to engage the target, the fighter jet’s crew located it using radar and eliminated it at 05:01.
The wreckage fell in an uninhabited area situated between two villages, resulting in no injuries.
The defense ministry has not yet disclosed the origin of the drone.
The country, sharing over 600 kilometers of border with Ukraine, continually faces the repercussions of the conflict near its boundaries. Romania’s airspace is frequently breached by Russian drones, and drifting mines pose a persistent threat to navigation in the Black Sea.
Notably, in July, Romanian F-16s shot down three Russian drones simultaneously for the first time, and previously, one of Russia’s unmanned aerial vehicles crashed into a residential building in Galați, injuring two civilians.
Russian Drones Being Downed in Romania: Latest News
As a reminder, the Romanian army expended approximately 1.5 million euros to destroy three Russian unmanned aerial vehicles that had violated the country’s airspace over three days. The primary expenditure stemmed from the deployment of three AIM-9X air-to-air missiles by F-16 fighter jets, costing nearly $1.2 million. The remaining sum covered flight hours and aircraft maintenance.
Romania’s Ministry of Defense emphasized that citizen safety remains a priority; however, the army cannot sustain such expenses with regular incidents. The ministry is currently exploring more cost-effective alternatives, including the potential use of helicopters equipped with mounted machine guns.
Furthermore, it is anticipated that two new anti-drone systems will be integrated into the Romanian army’s arsenal next year—one manufactured in Israel and the other developed through a collaborative effort between Romania and Ukraine.
Comments Sort: New Old Popular Submit