Romania details first case of fighter jet shooting down drone that violated its airspace

Romania's Ministry of Defence has detailed how an F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone on 24 July after it breached Romanian airspace, the first time the country has used a fighter jet to down an airspace intruder.

Source: European Pravda, citing an official statement

Details: The ministry said the airborne asset had been downed after 11:00 and provided details of the events leading up to it.

Romania's military radar surveillance system detected an aerial asset at 09:39, approximately 20 km east of Sulina, which entered national airspace on a trajectory of Sulina – Brăila – Fetești – Buzău.

Two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the 57th Air Base, also known as Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, and two Romanian Air Force F-16 jets from the 86th Air Base in Fetești took off at 09:48 and 10:56 respectively to monitor the situation.

Eventually, at 11:02, one of the Romanian F-16 aircraft locked onto the target and downed it over an uninhabited area near the settlement of Padina in Buzău County.

Radu Miruță, Romania's acting Minister of Defence, has praised the Romanian personnel involved in the operation.

"Thanks to their professionalism, composure and quick reaction, they neutralised a drone that unlawfully entered Romania's airspace today. This is further proof that the Romanian Army is fulfilling its core mission: protecting national territory and ensuring the safety of its citizens," Miruță wrote, without specifying the drone's origin.

Background:

• Before 24 July, Russian drones targeting Ukraine had repeatedly strayed into Romanian airspace, with some crashing on Romanian territory and causing damage, including to residential buildings.
• However, on 24 July, Romanian forces shot down such a drone for the first time.

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