Nicolai Haugsted
Fresh suspected Russian drone shot down as Romania declares repeated breaches ‘unacceptable’.
Romania has intercepted and destroyed another drone after it entered the country’s airspace, marking the third such incident in as many days and prompting a fresh diplomatic response against Russia.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the drone was brought down by a Romanian F-16 fighter jet at 10:13 a.m. on July 26 over Romanian territorial waters in the Sulina-Chilia area of the Danube Delta, close to the Ukrainian border, President Nicușor Dan confirmed.
Romanian authorities are investigating the latest airspace violation following two similar incidents on July 24 and July 25.
Prosecutors have already concluded that the drone shot down on July 24 was a Russian-made Shahed drone, the type Moscow has repeatedly deployed during its war against Ukraine.
Investigations into the drones intercepted on the following two days are still underway.
President Dan strongly condemned the repeated incursions.
“It is unforgivable and unacceptable that the Russian Federation continues to violate Romania’s airspace, which is also NATO’s and the European Union’s airspace. Such actions are unacceptable, and we take them with the utmost seriousness, together with our allies.”
Romania summons Russian ambassador
Romania’s president said any formal diplomatic protest would be based on the findings of the ongoing investigations.
Shortly afterwards, Romania’s Foreign Ministry announced that it had summoned Russia’s ambassador.
Relations between Bucharest and Moscow have remained tense as Russian attacks near Ukraine’s border have repeatedly spilled close to Romanian territory.
Similar episodes have occurred before.
Russian drone activity reached Romanian territory on May 29, when a drone struck a residential property in the city of Galați, injuring two people.
Romania’s Ministry of Defence has also recorded comparable incidents in January 2025, February 2025 and April 2026, highlighting a pattern of repeated violations along NATO’s eastern frontier.
