Romania’s President said that a suspected Russian drone was shot down after entering Romania’s airspace on Sunday. This was the third incident of infiltration in three days in this Eastern European country, which is a member of both the European Union and NATO. The military alliance said that under the operational command of NATO, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were sent from Fetesti airbase and they shot down the drone over the Black Sea.
At 10:13 a.m., an F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force shot down another drone over Romanian waters in the Sulina-Chilia area, Romanian President Nicosor Dan said.
Violation of NATO airspace
He further said that officials have learned that one of the first captured drones appears to be a Shahed type drone, which is being used by the Russian Federation in its aggressive war against Ukraine. Colonel Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (known as SHAPE), said this is the fourth recent incident of Romania shooting down a drone violating NATO airspace while working with the alliance.
Romanian pilots and aircraft deployed to Lithuania
He told that before these three incidents, in May, a Romanian jet had shot down a drone in the sky of Estonia. Romanian pilots and aircraft are stationed in Lithuania, from where they have the capability to conduct large-scale strikes as part of NATO’s military deployment. O’Donnell said, as we continue to prove, NATO is alert at all times and ready to defend itself against any threat.
Efforts to strengthen army security
Romania has acquired MEROPS counter-drone system. This system kills incoming ‘Shahed’ and other types of drones by firing cheap and three-feet long drones. The system is part of a larger effort to strengthen military security to deal with drone threats on NATO’s eastern border.
In May, a Russian drone involved in an attack on Ukraine went astray and crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania. Two people were injured and there was a fear that the war could spread to NATO territory as well.
Airspace of NATO and European Union also
President Dan said, it is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated that the Russian Federation is continuously violating Romania’s airspace, which is also the airspace of NATO and the European Union. He said, such actions are not acceptable and we, along with our allies, take them very seriously. NATO and EU ally Belgium said that Sunday’s infiltration is a clear reminder of how big a threat Russia’s war poses to European security.
300 Belgian soldiers deployed in Romania
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said Belgium stands firmly with Romania after several drones were shot down over Romanian territory in the last few days. Romania’s investigation has confirmed that one of them was a Russian ‘Shahed’ drone. He also said that 300 Belgian soldiers are deployed in Romania as part of the force protecting NATO’s eastern border. Since Moscow launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022, many drones of Russia and Ukraine have entered the territories of Romania and other NATO member countries.
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