Romania Summons Russian Ambassador After Downing 3rd Drone in 3 Days
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 26
Romania Summons Russian Ambassador After Downing 3rd Drone in 3 Days
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 26
Summary
A Romanian F-16 shot down a drone over the Black Sea on Sunday, five minutes after it entered national airspace, prompting Bucharest to summon Russia’s ambassador over repeated violations.
Three drones have been downed since Friday—the first such interceptions by Romania since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, despite dozens of earlier incursions.
President Nicușor Dan said an investigation identified Friday’s drone as a Russian Shahed model, while NATO said Sunday’s drone also appeared to be of Russian origin.
Romania has been tightening defenses: parliament passed a 2025 law allowing airspace violators to be shot down, and the country added the US-made Merops counter-drone system in late June.
The incidents sharpen concern on NATO’s eastern flank after a drone hit a residential building in Galați in May, wounding two people.
With Romania actively shooting down drones under new 2025 laws, could these border clashes accidentally trigger a broader NATO conflict?
How will Russia respond to Romania's aggressive new intercept tactics after losing three drones over the Black Sea in three days?
Beyond diplomatic protests, what hidden economic impacts are these repeated airspace violations having on critical Black Sea and Danube shipping routes?