August 13, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 13.08.2026, 20:00
INFLATION The National Bank of Romania (BNR) Thursday revised its forecast for the annual inflation rate at the end of 2026 from 5.5% to 6.1%, amid further pressures generated by price developments, the depreciation of the national currency, supply shocks associated with weather conditions and the situation in the energy market. For the end of 2027, the central bank expects a 3.4% inflation rate, 0.5% above the previous forecast. The BNR Governor Mugur Isărescu stated, upon presenting the August 2026 Inflation Report, that the central bank still expects a significant decrease in inflation in the coming period. According to the forecast, the annual inflation rate is expected to return within the National Bank’s target range in the fourth quarter of 2027. Mugur Isărescu also said the fiscal consolidation process must be continued, but, in his opinion, no new tax increases are necessary.
POWER Unit 2 of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, in south-eastern Romania, has been taken offline under controlled conditions on Thursday morning. The measure was prompted by severe drought and an unprecedented decline in the flow of the Danube, which is affecting the reactor’s cooling capacity. Unit 1 had already been shut down on 28 July. The two reactors accounted for approximately 20% of Romania’s electricity output. Taking Unit 2 offline is a temporary loss of 700 MW of the national electricity production. To cover the deficit and preserve grid stability, the energy ministry and the National Energy Dispatch Centre are considering a number of emergency measures. Over the next 7 days, wind power generation is expected to average more than 500 MW. Authorities also rely on Rovinari 4, a coal-fired unit operated by the Oltenia Energy Complex in southern Romania, which is currently held in reserve, as well as at least 300 MW from Hidroelectrica, the national leader in electricity generation. Meeting domestic electricity needs through imports is also being considered.
DRONES For the third time on Thursday, a drone entered Romanian and NATO airspace without authorisation. The device flew for about 12 minutes, then left Romanian airspace towards Ukraine. The public in the north of Tulcea County (southeast) were informed via a Ro-Alert message, and two Spanish F-18 aircraft, deployed from the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, took off urgently to monitor the situation. The other 2 incidents of this kind took place at dawn and during the morning of the same day. The drones entered Romanian airspace for a few minutes and left, heading for Ukraine, where explosions were heard shortly after, the Romanian defence ministry announced.
NAVY DAY Romanian Navy Day will be celebrated on August 15 in 6 cities, Constanta, Mangalia, Brăila, Tulcea, Galaţi and Bucharest, the Naval Forces General Staff announced. The bulk of the activities will be in the largest Romanian seaport, Constanta, on the seafront and in front of the Fleet Command building, where over 3,500 Romanian and foreign military personnel will take part in a military ceremony and a joint and inter-institutional naval exercise. Over 50 ships and boats, 15 military and civilian aircraft, 2 armoured amphibious transporters and 5 artillery pieces will participate in the training session at sea and off the coast, the Romanian Naval Forces announced. This year for the first time, the recently commissioned Rear-Admiral August Roman-261 corvette and the M 271 Captain Constantin Dumitrescu minehunter will also take part in the event. NATO forces will be represented by 2 ships of the Turkish Naval Forces, a frigate and a corvette, a Turkish Coast Guard ship, a Bulgarian Coast Guard ship, two F-18 Hornet aircraft of the Spanish Air Forces from the NATO Reinforced Air Police and the Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft of the French Navy.
SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici, an Olympic, world and European champion, won the gold medal in the 100m freestyle at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris on Wednesday evening, setting a new championship record of 46.56 seconds. He was followed by Russia’s Egor Kornev and Hungary’s Kristóf Milák. For Popovici, this is his third consecutive European title in the 100m freestyle, following his victories in 2022 and 2024. (AMP)
