Romanian fighter jets shot down a second drone that entered the country's airspace on 25 July, one day after Romania carried out its first known aerial interception of an unauthorized drone, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense said.
According to the ministry, radar systems detected the drone entering Romanian airspace at 08:22 in the border area with Ukraine. Two Romanian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon jets on air policing duty intercepted the target and carried out standard identification and neutralization procedures.
The drone was destroyed over an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border. Military teams are being deployed to the crash site to investigate, while authorities said they continue to monitor Romania's airspace in close coordination with NATO allies.
Second shootdown in two days
Romania's Defense Ministry said the same F-16 pilot who downed a drone on 24 July also destroyed the second aircraft while flying the same fighter jet, assisted by the same colleague.
The latest interception comes a day after Romania announced its first known combat shootdown of a drone that violated its airspace. That incident marked a shift in Bucharest's response after years of scrambling fighter jets to monitor or escort drones that crossed into Romanian territory.
Airspace violations linked to Russian attacks
Romania did not identify the drone's origin. However, the latest incident occurred as Russia continues to launch large-scale drone attacks against Ukraine, including strikes targeting areas along the Danube and Black Sea coast near the Romanian border.
Russian Shahed attack drones have repeatedly crossed into Romanian airspace during attacks on Ukraine's southern regions, particularly Odesa Oblast. Previous incursions have prompted NATO air policing missions, emergency alerts for residents, and growing calls for a stronger response to protect Romanian territory.
Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has increased its readiness along the frontier as Russian aerial attacks near its border have become more frequent since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion.
