Another Russian drone breached NATO airspace on Saturday, September 13, this time over Romania during an attack on Ukraine in the evening, the Romanian government has confirmed.
The incident occurred around 6.23pm local time when two Romanian F-16 fighter jets detected the drone over an uninhabited area of Tulcea, approximately 20 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. The drone later disappeared from radar, according to Romania’s Ministry of Defence, which stated that Romanian law permits the downing of any unauthorised aircraft entering its airspace.
Russian war games on Belarus-Polish border with drones, missiles and other hardware
The violation follows a similar incident three days earlier, when Poland shot down multiple Russian drones for breaching its airspace. In response to the ongoing threat, Poland deployed military aircraft and closed the airport in the eastern city of Lublin. The Polish Operational Command said on X that the measures were taken due to the risk of drone attacks in Ukrainian regions bordering Poland. Polish and allied aircraft, along with ground-based air defence and radar systems, were placed on high alert to guarantee airspace security and protect its citizens, particularly in areas near the threatened zone. The violation of Romanian airspace comes as Russian troops amass on the border between Belarus and Poland in a war games exercise.
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) announced that Lublin airport and surrounding airspace were closed to civilian air traffic as a temporary precautionary measure. NATO forces remain on high alert, closely monitoring the situation and prepared to respond immediately.
