F-16 vs drones
Romanian pilots have neutralised, under NATO command, three drones over the weekend.
Leyla Cheamil, 27.07.2026, 14:00
Three days in a row, Romania shot down three drones that illegally entered the country’s airspace. The first drone was destroyed on Friday in Tulcea county (in the south-east), the second was neutralised in Buzău county (also in the south-east), and the third was shot down on Sunday just minutes after illegally entering territorial waters over the Black Sea, in the Sulina-Chilia area. Investigators have established that the first drone was a Shahed Geran 2 model used by the Russian military, while investigations into the other two cases are ongoing. The rapid response operations were conducted by Romanian pilots flying F-16 aircraft.
Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulated the Romanian pilots and ground crews for the professionalism, courage, and efficacy displayed in carrying out out their missions, saying that their actions contribute to the defence of national territory and the safety of Romanian citizens. He also said that it is unacceptable for the Russian Federation to continue to violate Romania’s airspace, which is also NATO and European Union airspace. “Such actions are unacceptable, and together with our allies, we are treating them with utmost seriousness,” Nicușor Dan emphasised. Romania has briefed the North Atlantic Alliance about the incidents and has requested faster support to boost its anti-drone capabilities until the delivery of new systems purchased through the European SAFE programme.
Acting economy minister Irineu Darău said the new systems are to arrive next year. “To be even more efficient over time, we need state-of-the-art equipment to detect and shoot down drones at a lower cost than using F-16 aircraft, as we do now” said Irineu Darău. He added that Romania is planning further purchases in the near future, including jointly, with other states, for the purpose of collectively defending European Union and NATO territory. In Brussels,
Liberal MEPs called on the president of the European Commission to take measures to strengthen the Union’s external borders following repeated drone incidents on Romanian territory. The North Atlantic Alliance has also reacted to these incidents. The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) said the Romanian F-16 aircraft acted under NATO authority in every case when they destroyed Russian drones.
According to the Romanian defence ministry, there have been 33 reported incursions by Russian drones into national airspace since the start of the war in neighbouring Ukraine and some 50 cases when. drone parts were found on Romanian territory. Also, over 100 strikes have been recorded on Ukrainian territory in the immediate vicinity of the border with Romania.
