Romania Reports Russian Drone Incursion, Highlighting NATO Security Concerns

Tue Oct 21 2025 03:55:42 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Romania's defense ministry confirmed that a Russian drone entered its airspace, marking a significant development in NATO's ongoing vigilance concerning Russian military actions. This incident comes shortly after Poland reported similar violations.

Romania has reported the incursion of a Russian drone into its airspace, becoming the second NATO country to do so recently, following Poland's report of multiple drone interceptions. As tensions rise due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Romanian F-16 jets detected the drone near the Ukrainian border during monitoring operations. The incident was described by Ukrainian President Zelensky as an 'obvious expansion' of the war, and EU leaders have condemned the violations of sovereignty. The Romanian defense ministry stated that the drone posed no immediate threat but highlighted the increased risks from Russian military actions.

Romania says a Russian drone has breached its airspace - the second NATO country to report such an incursion.

Romanian fighter jets were in the air monitoring a Russian attack in Ukraine on Saturday and were able to track the drone near Ukraine's southern border, the defense ministry said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the incursion could not be a mistake - it was 'an obvious expansion of the war by Russia'. Moscow has not commented on the Romanian claims.

On Wednesday, Poland said it had shot down at least three Russian drones which had entered its airspace.

In its statement, Romania's defense ministry said it detected the Russian drone when two F-16 jets were monitoring the country's border with Ukraine, after 'Russian air attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure on the Danube'.

The drone was detected 20km (12.4 miles) south-west of the village of Chilia Veche, before disappearing from the radar.

But it did not fly over populated areas or pose imminent danger, the ministry said.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called the incident 'yet another unacceptable breach of an EU member state's sovereignty'.

Poland also responded to concerns over Russian drones on Saturday. Preventative operations of aviation - Polish and allied - have begun in our airspace, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post on X.

Earlier this week, Russia's defense ministry said there had been 'no plans' to target facilities on Polish soil.

Belarus, a close Russian ally, said the drones which entered Polish airspace on Wednesday were an accident, after their navigation systems were jammed.

In response to the latest drone incursion, President Zelensky said the Russian military 'knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air'.

US President Donald Trump also weighed in on the airspace breach earlier this week, saying he was 'ready' to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, but only if NATO countries met certain conditions.

With the conflict in Ukraine escalating since the Russian invasion in February 2022, these drone incursions present new challenges to NATO's eastern security posture.