Published on •Updated
Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two drones over the Black Sea in the latest drone incident to hit the southeastern European country, authorities said Saturday.
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Defense Minister Radu Miruta said the first drone entered Romanian airspace around 5:59 p.m. and was shot down “in two minutes”, 25 km southeast of the town of Sulina.
“The second drone, in the same area, was engaged and shot down at 6:05 p.m., five minutes after entering national airspace, 20 km east of Sulina,” Miruta said.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Defense, two F-16s carrying out air policing missions participated in the drone interception operation after taking off from the 86th Air Base in Borcea, near the town of Fetești.
The planes were called into action after radar surveillance systems detected a number of aerial targets, according to the ministry. He later announced that the targets were “Geran family jet attack drones.”
“The Black Sea constitutes a key maritime artery for the global export of grain, energy resources and industrial products, making its stability vital for international food and energy security,” Oana Toiu, Romania’s foreign minister, wrote on X, adding that NATO would discuss “defense and deterrence” of the Black Sea at an upcoming meeting.
“The Black Sea will be safe again,” she added.
Located on NATO’s eastern flank, Romania is particularly vulnerable to security threats stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the country has faced a surge in incursions and drone incidents in recent months believed to be linked to the conflict.
Gn world
