Romania shoots down ‘Russian drone’ with F-16 fighter jet for first time ever after Putin’s repeated incursions

A ROMANIAN F-16 fighter jet has shot down a drone invading its airspace for the first time after repeated breaches. The Nato member has faced dozens of incursions by unmanned aerial vehicles since the outbreak of Russia‘s illegal war in Ukraine four years ago. A Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet has shot down a drone breaching its airspace Credit: AFP The unmanned aerial vehicle was seen flying over a rural area in the country’s east Romania has not identified the drone’s origins, but the army‘s chief of staff General Gheorghita Vlad said it appeared to be a Shahed – the Iranian kamikaze UAVs used by the Kremlin. He said: “Visually, the pilots reported the drone looked to be a Shahed type,” but added that it was too early to draw conclusions. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! An army source had earlier said: “There is an ongoing investigation to determine the origin of the drone. “But in this part of the world it is Russia that is the attacker.” The incursion was first detected by radars at 9.30am around 12 miles east of the Black Sea Coast. President Nicusor Dan wrote on X that a Romanian pilot had shot down the drone at about 11am. He said: “The area was uninhabited, so the pilot was able to shoot without any risk. “Currently, teams of the relevant institutions are investigating the area to come up with all the details about the incident.” Most read in The Sun Romania’s President Nicusor Dan confirmed the successful interception Credit: Reuters The Romanian Defence Ministry said the drone was shot down near the town of Padina in the country’s east. Two F-16 fighter jets and two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons based in Romania were scrambled in response to the breach. Fragments of the drone were found in a wheat field, but caused no damage or injuries. EU President Ursula con der Leyen wrote on X: “European airspace has once again been violated by a drone incursion. “I commend the Romanian military for their swift and effective response, safeguarding our shared security. “Strengthening defence and deterrence along our Eastern border remains a top priority.” Romania shares a 400-mile border with Ukraine and has reported multiple invasions of its airspace by Russian drones. They began when Moscow started attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube River on Romania’s eastern flank. In late May, a drone crashed into a block of flats in the town of Galati, near the Ukrainian border. The heavy impact resulted in the first confirmed civilian injuries, reportedly a woman and child, by a Kremlin drone on Nato territory since the start of Vladimir Putin’s war. The attack drone is believed to have veered into Romania and struck the roof of the flats in Galati as part of an overnight attack on Ukraine. Romania’s Foreign Ministry called the dangerous drone attack a “serious violation of international law“. They added: “This incident represents a serious and irresponsible escalation on the part of the Russian Federation.” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called Russia’s actions dangerous as he said all of Nato “must defend ourselves against” Putin. Comment now