Romania scrambles F-16 jets and downs a suspected Russian drone, the third in 3 days
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania was relegated A suspicious Russian UAV The country’s president said after it entered its airspace on Sunday that it was the third such attack in three days on the Eastern European country, which is a member of both the European Union and NATO.
The military alliance said two Romanian F-16 fighter jets took off from Fetești air base, which is under NATO’s operational command, and shot down the UAV over the Black Sea.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said, “At 10:13 this morning, a new drone was shot down by an F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force over Romanian territorial waters, in the Sulina-Chilia region.” he said.
Officials added that one of the previously seized drones was identified as “the Shahed type used by the Russian Federation in its offensive war against Ukraine.”
Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, known as SHAPE, said this was the fourth downing of a drone by Romania that had violated NATO airspace in coordination with the alliance.
Before the last three interceptions, Romanian jets shot down a drone in the skies over Estonia in May, he said. Romanian pilots and aircraft are based in Lithuania, where they have broad strike capabilities as part of NATO’s force posture.
“As we continue to prove, NATO remains constantly alert and ready to defend itself against any threat,” O’Donnell said. he said.
Romania has purchased the MEROPS counter-drone system, which fires relatively inexpensive, meter-long drones to shoot down incoming Shahed and other variants. The system is part of a broader strengthening of the military alliance along NATO’s long eastern border against drone threats.
A Russian UAV that was part of an attack on Ukraine in May went astray and crashed into an apartment building eastern RomaniaInjury to 2 people created fear war It can spread to alliance territory.
“It is unacceptable and unacceptable that the Russian Federation continues to violate Romanian airspace, which is also NATO and European Union airspace,” President Dan said. he said. “Such actions are unacceptable and we, together with our allies, treat them with all seriousness.”
NATO and EU ally Belgium said Sunday’s attack was “a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by Russia’s war to European security.”
“Belgium stands firmly with Romania after the shooting down of several drones over its territory in recent days. Romania’s investigation has already confirmed that one of them was the Russian Shahed drone,” said the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot. He added that 300 Belgian soldiers were in Romania as part of NATO’s eastern wing force.
A series of drone attacks by Russia and Ukraine It has hit Romania and other NATO members since Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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McNeil reported from Brussels.
