July 25, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 25.07.2026, 19:35
Drone. The Romanian authorities will share with their NATO and European Union allies the results of their investigations into the two incidents involving drones that illegally entered Romanian airspace on Friday and Saturday, acting foreign minister Oana Ţoiu has announced. She also said on X that the illegal violation of national airspace is a premeditated act. Earlier, speaking to Fox News, she said that Romania’s borders and its sovereignty are non-negotiable, and that the military and NATO air policing forces will continue to monitor the land border, the Danube river and the Black Sea. On Saturday morning, a drone was shot down 10 km from Sfântu Gheorghe, in the Danube Delta by the same F-16 pilot who had destroyed another drone on Friday in Buzău county (southeast). Investigators have already determined that the first drone was a Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle, a model used by Russia in strikes on Ukraine. Acting defence minister Radu Miruţă gave assurances that the Romanian Army is doing its best with the means available to limit and eliminate the threat posed by such incidents for the population. He pointed out the need for cheaper solutions than fighter-launched missiles to shoot down drones entering Romanian airspace, but this requires further equipping the army, and the production and procurement of such systems take at least 11 months. In Brussels, European Council President António Costa congratulated the Romanian authorities on their rapid and efficient response and gave assurances that the European Union would continue to strengthen its security and deterrence capabilities.
Holidays. The majority of Romanians going on holiday this summer are choosing to stay in Romania, preferring short trips and organising their travel independently rather than using travel agencies. These findings come from a survey showing that 34% of respondents are heading to the seaside, while 32% are choosing the mountains. Only one in five Romanians will travel abroad. Over 43% of those surveyed can afford a holiday of just three to four days, with rest being the primary goal for more than half of them. More than 30% of respondents state they will combine business with pleasure, and 13% intend to visit tourist attractions, while only 1% of Romanians are going on holiday for shopping. Nearly 39% of Romanians said they would not be taking a holiday at all this summer.
BBC Proms. The Ministry of economy, digitalisation, entrepreneurship and tourism in Bucharest is promoting Romania as a tourist destination on a special page included in the 85,000 official brochures for 63 of the BBC Proms concerts, the oldest and one of the most prestigious classical music festivals in the world and held every summer at London’s Royal Albert Hall. On August 5, Alexandra Dariescu will become the first Romanian female pianist to perform at the BBC Proms and the first Romanian musician to be part of the festival’s line-up in the last three decades. The concert’s special brochure, running in 1,200 copies, will feature not only the promotional page for Romania as a tourist destination but also a page dedicated to Romanian cultural diplomacy in the United Kingdom.
Festival. Sighișoara, in central Romania, is playing host to the 31st edition of the Medieval Art Festival, the country’s longest-running event of its kind. Activities for visitors of all ages include knightly tournaments, medieval music and theater performances, parades, interactive workshops in glassmaking, pottery, tailoring, and engraving, fire-juggling demonstrations, and dishes inspired by local cuisine. Held within the only inhabited medieval citadel in Southeast Europe, the Medieval Sighișoara Festival takes place under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown. (CM)
