Romania's Air Force shot down a suspected Russian Shahed-type drone over the Black Sea after it crossed into Romanian airspace, the third incursion in three days, President Nicușor Dan said. Two F-16s from Fetești intercepted the unmanned aircraft at 10:13 a.m. in the Sulina–Chilia area. NATO described the operation as coordinated and noted this is the fourth recent NATO-linked drone downing involving Romania. Romania has also acquired MEROPS interceptor drones to reinforce air defenses.
Romania Scrambles F-16s, Shoots Down Suspected Russian Shahed Drone Over Black Sea
Romanian President Nicusor Dan, left, and Moldovan President Maia Sandu attend the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, Monday, July 2026. (Teresa Suares/Pool Photo via AP)
Romanian forces shot down a suspected Russian drone after it entered the country's airspace on Sunday, the third such incursion in three days, President Nicușor Dan said.
Two Romanian F-16s operating from the Fetești airbase under NATO operational command intercepted and destroyed the unmanned aircraft over the Black Sea, the alliance said. The engagement took place at 10:13 a.m. in the Sulina–Chilia area of Romania's territorial waters.
Authorities examining earlier interceptions determined that one of the drones appears to have been a Shahed-type model, a variant that has been used by Russia in its campaign against Ukraine.
Col. Martin O'Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), said this marks the fourth recent occasion Romania has downed a drone that violated NATO airspace in coordination with the alliance. He also recalled a May incident in which Romanian forces shot down a drone above Estonia. Romanian pilots and aircraft are also based in Lithuania as part of NATO's eastern posture.
"As we continue to prove, NATO is constantly on the watch and prepared to defend itself from any threat," O'Donnell said.
To bolster air defenses, Romania has procured the MEROPS counter-drone system. MEROPS uses relatively inexpensive interceptor drones, roughly three feet long, to neutralize incoming Shahed variants and similar threats. The acquisition forms part of broader efforts to harden NATO's long eastern frontier against drone incursions.
In May, a Russian drone involved in an attack on Ukraine veered off course and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people and heightening concerns that the conflict could spill over into NATO territory.
President Dan condemned the repeated airspace violations as "inadmissible and intolerable," emphasizing Romania's cooperation with allies in responding to the incidents.
Belgium, a NATO and EU partner, called the latest breach a "stark reminder of the ongoing threat Russia's war poses to European security." Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said Belgium stands firmly with Romania and noted that about 300 Belgian troops are currently stationed in Romania as part of NATO's eastern flank contingent.
A series of drone crossings attributed to Russian and Ukrainian operations have affected Romania and other NATO members since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. NATO officials say they are maintaining heightened vigilance across the alliance's eastern border.
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