Romania downs new drone after third consecutive airspace breach

Romanian forces on Sunday shot down a drone that entered the country's airspace, marking the third such incident in three days, President Nicusor Dan said.

"A new drone was shot down this morning, at 10.13 a.m., by an F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force, over Romania's territorial waters, in the Sulina-Chilia area," Dan said on US social media platform X.

He said the incident followed the downing of drones by Romanian forces on Friday and Saturday.

Dan said an investigation by the General Prosecutor's Office found that the drone shot down on Friday was a Shahed-type drone used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

He said investigations into the drone incidents on Saturday and Sunday were still ongoing.

"Romania's diplomatic protest against the Russian Federation will be based on these investigations. It is inadmissible and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania's airspace, which is, at the same time, NATO airspace and European Union airspace," Dan said.