A Romanian pilot flying an F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that violated the country's airspace at around 11:00 local time on July 24, President Nicusor Dan said. According to Dan, the drone was flying over uninhabited terrain, allowing the pilot to open fire without risk.
The drone was intercepted near the village of Padina, approximately 110–114 kilometers northeast of Bucharest. Two Romanian F-16s and two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons — deployed in Romania as part of a NATO air-policing mission — were scrambled for the interception. Investigative teams from multiple agencies were dispatched to the scene.
Foreign Minister Oana Toiu described the incident as a “success” and a result of cooperation with NATO forces. Dan did not say which country the downed drone belonged to.
This is the first time Romanian forces have shot down a drone over the country's territory since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Previously, drones repeatedly violated Romanian airspace and even crashed on its territory without being intercepted. In late May, a Russian drone struck a residential building in the city of Galati, injuring two people. Following that incident, Romania's parliament passed a law explicitly authorizing the shooting down of unmanned aerial vehicles.