A Romanian F-16 shot down a drone that had violated its airspace
This has been reported by the Romanian Ministry of National Defence.
Romanian radars detected an aerial target at 09:39, approximately 20 kilometres east of the town of Sulina. The drone entered the country’s airspace and was travelling along the route Sulina – Brăila – Fetești – Buzău.
To intercept the target, two Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the Italian Air Force were scrambled from the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base at 09:48. At 10:56, two Romanian F-16s took off from the 86th Air Base in Fetești.
At 11:02, one of the Romanian fighter jets fired a missile and shot down the drone near the village of Padina in Buzău County. According to the Ministry of Defence, the wreckage fell in an uninhabited area.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan confirmed the destruction of the target whilst speaking to journalists.
“There was a drone in our airspace. It was shot down at around 11 am by a Romanian F-16 pilot,” the president said.
Dan explained that the pilot was able to use his weapons because there were no people or buildings in the area of the interception. Military personnel and representatives of other state services are working at the crash site.
The origin of the drone has not yet been established
The Romanian Ministry of Defence has not disclosed who owned the downed drone, where it was launched from, or whether it was armed. The type of drone has also not been officially identified.
On the night of 24 July, Russia launched drone attacks on Ukrainian targets near the Romanian border. However, in its initial report on the night-time attack, the Romanian Ministry of Defence emphasised that no violations of the country’s airspace had been recorded at that time.
It is therefore premature to link the drone shot down that morning to a Russian strike on Ukraine until the investigation is complete. Final conclusions will be drawn following an examination of the wreckage and the flight path.
Residents of several counties were warned of the danger
After the target was detected, Romania’s National Military Command Centre notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Residents of the counties of Tulcea and Brăila were alerted via the Ro-Alert system.
Romanian media also reported warnings for residents of Buzău, Prahova and Galați. People were asked to go to basements or shelters, and if this was not possible, to remain indoors away from windows and external walls. The threat was linked to the possible fall of debris.
There are no reports of fatalities, injuries or damage following the destruction of the drone.
Romania has stepped up security following previous incidents
In late May 2026, a Russian ‘Geran-2’ drone crashed into a high-rise building in Galați, Romania. Two people were injured in the explosion, and around 70 residents were evacuated.
At the time, Romanian F-16s were tracking the target but did not open fire due to the risk to people in the densely built-up area. Following the incident, Bucharest asked its NATO allies to strengthen the country’s anti-drone defences and declared the Russian consul in Constanța persona non grata.
During the incident on 24 July, conditions allowed the Romanian pilot to fire a missile over uninhabited territory. The investigation is set to establish the drone’s origin and the purpose of its flight over the country’s territory.
Follow us on Telegram.
