Overview
- Romanian F-16s shot down three unmanned aerial vehicles that entered national airspace between July 24 and July 26, with the third engaged over Romanian territorial waters 12 km northeast of Sulina.
- Prosecutors have concluded the July 24 drone was a Shahed-type and investigations into the July 25 and 26 incidents are ongoing while coast guard and air teams search for debris from drones and interceptors.
- Bucharest summoned Russian ambassador Vladimir Lipaev, showed him recovered fragments, declared a member of the Russian mission persona non grata and recalled Romania’s ambassador to Moscow for consultations.
- NATO said Romanian jets scrambled under allied operational command to defend territory, and Western allies highlighted expanded eastern‑flank defences such as the MEROPS counter‑drone system.
- The incidents follow earlier stray strikes in Romania that injured civilians and raise the risk of further spillover, with authorities weighing diplomatic options including Article 4 consultations as defence costs and scrutiny of cross‑border drone activity grow.