Romanian F-16 fighter jets have shot down two drones that entered the country's territorial waters over the Black Sea. Defense Minister Radu Mirusha said the drones were likely Russian and were flying at about 450 km/h.
“The ones from last night were flying at 450 km/h, which makes us believe they were Russian Geran-4 drones with turboprop engines. This is the first time we have shot down drones of this type“, Mirusha was quoted as saying by Reuters. According to him, the high speed was comparable to that of fighter jets.
The drones were detected near Sulina
The Romanian Ministry of Defense announced that the two aircraft entered the airspace over the Black Sea at 14:59 and 15:01 GMT. The fighter jets took off from the 86th air base near Fetești after radar systems detected air targets.
According to earlier information from the ministry, the first drone entered Romanian airspace at around 17:59 local time and was shot down two minutes later about 25 kilometers southeast of Sulina. The second was hit in the same area, about 20 kilometers east of the city.
Romanian authorities identified the targets as Geran family of reactive attack drones. Reuters notes that this is the latest incursion of drones related to the war in Ukraine into the territory of a NATO country.
The incidents come after attacks on tankers
The downing of the drones came days after two chemical tankers were hit off Romania's Black Sea coast. Both vessels were anchored near the Sulina Canal, which connects the Danube with the Black Sea and is a major route for Ukrainian exports.
A NATO military source told Reuters that the tankers were hit by Russian drones. Romanian authorities are still searching for seven crew members. At least five other cargo ships have been hit off the coast of Romania and neighboring Bulgaria in the past two weeks, with 23 sailors killed or missing. Most of these incidents have occurred outside NATO territorial waters.
Romania, which shares a 614-kilometer border with Ukraine, has repeatedly reported Russian drones entering its airspace. The North Atlantic Council will discuss defense and deterrence in the Black Sea on Tuesday. A NATO official told Reuters that the alliance is ready to respond to any potential threat.
Sources: internazionale.it, euronews.com, apnews.com