Romania's Defence Ministry reveals details of latest drone downing

Romania's Ministry of National Defence has released details regarding a breach of the country's airspace by an unidentified drone and its subsequent downing.

Source: Romanian Defence Ministry, as reported by European Pravda

Details: In a statement, the Defence Ministry said that on 25 July at 08:22 local time, its radar surveillance systems detected an intrusion into Romanian airspace by a drone located in the border zone with Ukraine.

The ministry emphasised that two F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft of the Romanian Air Force, which were on combat duty as part of the Air Policing mission, intercepted the drone and carried out standard identification and neutralisation procedures. It added that the drone was safely shot down in an uninhabited area near the border.

It also said that specialist teams from the Ministry of National Defence will travel to the crash site to conduct an investigation.

The Defence Ministry added that it monitors the situation in the airspace continuously and remains in close contact with allied organisations.

Furthermore, the ministry highlighted that the drone was shot down by the same pilot who downed another drone near Buzău on Friday 24 July, flying the same Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet and assisted by the same colleague.

Background:

• Romanian President Nicușor Dan previously reported that on 25 July at around 08:30 local time, a drone was shot down 10 km west of the town of Sfântu Gheorghe.
• On 24 July, the Romanian military shot down a drone that had flown deep into the country's territory using a fighter jet for the first time.
• Senior Romanian military officials reported that the downed drone had been visually identified as a Shahed-type craft.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon to help us keep reporting!