{"id":2125,"date":"2026-07-29T04:39:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T04:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2125"},"modified":"2026-07-29T04:39:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T04:39:30","slug":"nato-member-romania-shoots-down-stray-drones-from-ukraine-war-after-years-of-incursions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2125","title":{"rendered":"NATO member Romania shoots down stray drones from Ukraine war after years of incursions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) \u2014 Since Russia\u2019s full invasion of Ukraine<\/span> in February 2022, the war has repeatedly spilled across Romania\u2019s border as drones violate the airspace of the neighboring European Union and NATO member.<\/p>\n

Read more Rescuers search for the missing after Japan earthquake as death toll rises to 13<\/a><\/p>\n

Now Romania is trying something new to stop the incursions: shooting down<\/span> the drones.<\/p>\n

Romanian pilots shot down the first of three drones in as many days from F-16 fighter jets starting Friday as Russia intensified attacks against Ukraine near the border. After determining the drones were of Russian origin, Romania summoned Moscow\u2019s ambassador in protest and expelled a Russian diplomat on Monday.<\/p>\n

Drones have crossed into Romanian territory multiple times from Ukraine to the north and east, including in May when a drone injured a mother and child<\/span> after crashing into an apartment block in the eastern town of Galati along the Danube River.<\/p>\n

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Romanian authorities largely responded by scrambling jets, collecting debris, erecting fallout shelters near the border and frequently admonishing Moscow for its war spilling into its territory.<\/p>\n

Romania and Poland also acquired the MEROPS system<\/span>, which fires short counter-drones to take down incoming stray drones, following a spate of incursions along NATO\u2019s eastern flank late last year.<\/p>\n

Drones have crossed into the territories of multiple EU countries<\/span>, but have been a persistent problem for Romania\u2019s leadership in the capital Bucharest. At least 19 have entered Romania\u2019s airspace this year, while there have been 50 cases of drones or drone fragments identified on its territory since the war started in 2022, according to Romania\u2019s Ministry of National Defense. <\/p>\n

Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Sunday congratulated the Romanian pilots for downing the drones and blamed Russia for the incursions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is unacceptable and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romanian airspace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Romania shifts the approach to stray drones <\/h2>\n

Despite passing legislation last year to shoot down drones in its airspace, which was strongly opposed by nationalist political parties, Romania has avoided shooting them down until now. <\/p>\n

Romanian military analyst Radu Tudor said the May drone incident in Galati may have \u201cchanged something in the Romanian authorities\u2019 mentality\u201d in how to approach the issue.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis was somehow a kind of psychological trigger, in order to say: \u2018OK, enough is enough,\u2019\u201d Tudor said. \u201cUntil now, it probably was an Allied decision in NATO not to respond with firepower, because it was somehow a danger of escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s not only a change of attitude of Romania, I think it\u2019s a change of attitude in NATO,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Read more Saudi Arabia says it shot down more drones as Houthis claim to have turned back tanker<\/a><\/p>\n

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