Romania Intercepts Drone in NATO Airspace Amid Rising Tensions
Romania's defense ministry reported that a Romanian F-16 fighter jet intercepted and shot down a drone on Sunday, marking the third such incident in as many days. The drone was intercepted at 10:13 a.m. local time near Romania's border with southwestern Ukraine. Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated that the drone incursions, frequently reported when Russia bombards Ukrainian ports near the Danube River, have not been treated as attacks on NATO, thus not triggering a collective response from the alliance's 32 members. However, these persistent incidents have prompted NATO members along Europe's eastern edge to invest in anti-drone defenses. The drone was shot down safely over Romanian territorial waters, and no casualties or injuries were reported. Romanian authorities have not confirmed the drone's origin, but previous incidents involved Russian-made drones.