Romania shoots down drone in its airspace for first time
Romania has shot down a drone in its airspace for the first time since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. The incident occurred near the village of Padina, involving a Romanian F-16 fighter jet after the target was monitored by both Romanian and Italian aircraft.
Why it matters
This marks a significant escalation in NATO's response to border incursions and highlights the ongoing security risks to neighboring countries from the conflict in Ukraine.
Romania shot down a drone in its airspace on Friday (July 24, 2026), its president said, a first since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The NATO member bordering Ukraine has seen frequent drone incursions, including drones crashing on its soil, since the start of the war, but its forces had so far not shot any down.
The drone was downed around 114 kilometres (70 miles) from Bucharest, according to the Defence Ministry.
"We had a drone in our airspace. It was shot down a few minutes ago, around 11:00 am (0800 GMT) by a Romanian pilot flying an F-16," President Nicusor Dan told a press conference.
"It's important to note that the area was uninhabited, which is why the pilot was able to fire from above, and now teams from various institutions are investigating to provide all the details about the incident," he added.
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