Romanian jet fighter shoots down suspected Russian drone

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that a Romanian F-16 shot down a drone suspected of Russian origin after it entered Romania’s airspace on Friday, July 24, 2026. President Nicusor Dan said it was the first time Romania had intercepted an intruding aircraft since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The aircraft was brought down over an uninhabited area, and Romanian authorities reported no injuries.

According to Romania’s Ministry of National Defence, radar picked up the drone about 20km east of the Black Sea port of Sulina before it crossed into Romanian airspace and moved through areas including Braila, Fetesti and Buzau county. Two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons assigned to NATO air policing in Romania joined two Romanian F-16s in the response. One Romanian jet fired an air-to-air missile, downing the target near the village of Padina.

A Romanian military source cited by Reuters said Russia was suspected because of the pattern of earlier airspace incidents in the region. Romania, a NATO and EU member bordering Ukraine, has reported repeated drone incursions during the war. Al Jazeera noted that a drone hit an apartment building in Galati in late May, injuring two people, and that a Ukrainian sea drone detonated at Constanta port in June after Kyiv said Russian jamming had diverted it.

The incident adds to concern that the Russia-Ukraine war could draw in neighbouring NATO states. Al Jazeera reported that NATO and EU officials condemned the latest breach, while alliance leaders have warned that NATO territory will be defended.