&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Romania slams Moscow's 'irresponsible actions,' scrambles F-16s after Russian drone breaches NATO airspace")
Romania has accused Russia of violating its airspace after a drone used in strikes on Ukraine crossed into the country on Saturday (Sep 14), prompting Bucharest to scramble F-16 fighter jets. "The Ministry of National Defense firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement, noting that the incident "represents a new challenge to regional security and stability in the Black Sea area".
Russian drone in Romanian airspace
According to Romania's defence ministry, a Russian drone entered national airspace at 6:05 pm local time and orbited for about 50 minutes before exiting near the town of Pardina in northern Dobruja. According to reports, the F-16 pilots had intermittent visual and radar contact with the drone and were even authorised to shoot it down, but held fire after assessing the risk of collateral damage.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defence said that the incident demonstrates Russia's "lack of respect for the norms of international law" and also endangers the safety of Romanian citizens and the collective security of NATO.
The breach comes just days after Poland reported downing Russian drones over its territory, heightening concerns on NATO's eastern flank.
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Romania summons Russian ambassador
According to Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu, the Romanian Foreign Minister summoned Russia's ambassador Vladimir Lipaev, on Sunday. Lipaev has, meanwhile, dismissed the allegations as a "provocation of the Kyiv regime," according to Russian state media TASS.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the airspace violation as "another unacceptable breach of an EU member state's sovereignty," while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the drone flew nearly 10 kilometres into Romanian territory.
"This continued reckless escalation threatens regional security," Kallas wrote on X, adding, "We stand in solidarity with Romania".
