Romania has confirmed that a Russian drone entered its airspace during an attack on neighbouring Ukraine, prompting fighter jets to scramble in what marks the latest violation of NATO territory.
Defence minister Ionut Mosteanu said the unmanned aircraft was flying at a low altitude and came close to being intercepted before exiting Romanian airspace back into Ukraine. “All information at this moment indicates the drone exited airspace to Ukraine,” he told Antena 3 television.
Citizens in Tulcea County near the Danube border were instructed to take cover as two F-16s and later two Eurofighters tracked the drone. The defence ministry reported that the signal dropped from radar around 20km southwest of Chilia Veche, and helicopters were deployed to survey for possible debris.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed the drone breached about 10km into Romanian territory and lingered in NATO airspace for nearly 50 minutes. He described the incident as “an obvious expansion of the war by Russia,” urging tougher tariffs on Russian trade and stronger collective defence measures.
Romania has previously had fragments from Russian drones land on its territory since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. The latest incursion follows similar violations in Poland, which last week deployed aircraft, closed Lublin airport and shot down Russian drones. Those were the first known incidents of NATO members firing on Russian hardware since the war began.
The alliance has pledged to reinforce its eastern flank amid what experts describe as Russia’s tactic of “salami slicing” — gradual escalations designed to test the West’s resolve.
Meanwhile, Russia and Belarus staged joint Zapad 2025 military exercises over the Barents Sea, with MiG-31 fighters carrying hypersonic missiles completing a four-hour patrol.
The United States condemned the drone breaches. Secretary of state Marco Rubio called them “unacceptable and dangerous,” warning that intentional targeting of NATO territory would be “highly escalatory.”
Former US president Donald Trump weighed in on Saturday, calling for sweeping sanctions on Russia but only if all NATO nations join in and halt energy imports from Moscow.
