Spanish F-18 Fighter Jet Shoots Down Drone Entering Romanian Airspace

File photo: A Romanian fighter jet taxis on the runway amid heightened security concerns over cross-border drone incursions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine

A Spanish F-18 fighter jet operating on a Nato air-policing mission shot down a drone that illegally entered Romanian airspace on Sunday, marking the fourth unmanned aircraft Romania has brought down this year, according to the country's defence ministry. The drone was detected entering Romania from neighbouring Moldova, about 24 km north of the southeastern city of Galati, the ministry said. It did not identify the origin of the drone. The Spanish fighter jet established radar contact with the aircraft and was authorised to engage it.

"The drone was shot down safely at 05:01 am," the ministry said in a statement. The debris appeared to have fallen in an uninhabited area between two villages, with no casualties reported. The incident comes as Romania faces repeated airspace violations and drone-related security threats linked to the war in neighbouring Ukraine. Romania shares a 614-km land border with Ukraine and sits on Nato's eastern flank along the Black Sea.

Romania's latest shoot-down follows three similar incidents in July, when Romanian F-16 fighter jets brought down Russian drones that had entered the country's airspace. Those were the first instances in which Romanian fighter jets shot down Russian drones after dozens of airspace incursions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this year, a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in Galati during an overnight attack on neighbouring Ukraine, injuring two people. Romania has also faced drone incidents over the Black Sea and along its eastern border. Earlier this week, Romanian military divers carried out a controlled explosion of two Gerbera-type drones found in the Black Sea near the Neptun Deep gas project, according to Euronews. A separate drone crashed near Luncavita in eastern Romania two days earlier after travelling through Romanian airspace at very low altitude. The defence ministry said its radar systems had not detected the aircraft because of its low flight path. The drone crashed in a wooded area, with no casualties or property damage reported. The series of incidents has highlighted the growing security risks for Nato's eastern members as drones linked to the war in Ukraine cross or approach allied airspace. Nato officials have also warned about the pattern of incursions. Following a meeting of the North Atlantic Council this week, the alliance said Russia bore responsibility for airspace violations that were "dangerous and unacceptable" and demonstrated Moscow's "increasing tolerance for risk". The latest incident also underlines the role of Nato's air-policing missions in responding to potential threats. The Spanish F-18 involved in Sunday's operation was deployed as part of the alliance's air-policing presence in Romania. Romania has increasingly relied on allied aircraft alongside its own fighter jets as drone activity has intensified across Nato's eastern flank. The incidents are particularly sensitive because of Romania's proximity to the war zone and its position along key Black Sea trade and energy routes.