A Spanish F-18 fighter jet, currently deployed for NATO operations, intercepted and shot down a drone early Sunday morning after the aircraft entered Romanian airspace. According to the Romanian defense ministry, the drone crossed into the country from neighboring Moldova. The resulting debris fell within an unpopulated area near the Ukrainian border.
NATO spokesperson Marty O'Donnell confirmed that the operation was coordinated through the alliance's Combined Air Operations Centre located in Torrejón, Spain. O'Donnell noted that the drone appeared to be Russian and marked the fourth instance of a successful drone shootdown by NATO aircraft over Romanian territory.
Since 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Romania has dealt with several incursions. Last month, Romania shot down a drone for the first time since the war began, after it entered the country's airspace approximately 60 miles from Bucharest. Authorities have also reported discovering drone fragments on Romanian soil multiple times since 2023, often following Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports along the Danube River.
In a separate incident last week, a drone entered Romanian airspace and traveled into Bulgaria, where it exploded near an international gas pipeline. Following that event, Ukraine denied allegations that it was targeting Bulgaria.
