A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone over the Black Sea on July 26 that the country’s authorities identified as Russian. It was the third such incident in three days.
The aircraft was destroyed near the town of Sulina, close to the Ukrainian border. Romania’s Defense Ministry said the drone had violated Romanian airspace during a Russian attack on Ukrainian areas along the Danube.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan called repeated violations of Romanian and NATO airspace unacceptable.
According to Romania’s Defense Ministry, the incident was the 33rd recorded unauthorized incursion by Russian drones into the country’s airspace since the start of the full-scale war.
The following day, Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador and announced the expulsion of an employee of the Russian Embassy in protest over the repeated airspace violations.
Russia denies intentionally directing drones into Romanian territory.