Few of Ukraine's neighbors have been hit as hard by Russian airstrikes as Rumunija. As of February 2022, 34 Russian drone and several Russian missiles violated Romanian airspace. Most of those incidents, 19 of them, happened in this year, 2026.
On several occasions, Russian drones have exploded over or on Romanian territory. The most serious incident occurred on May 29, 2026, when a Russian drone struck and destroyed a residential building in the eastern Romanian city of Galaci. Two people were injured, and dozens of residents had to be evacuated.
Although these events could long ago be described as systematic Russian provocations - or perhaps even deliberate violations of Romanian airspace - the Romanian state's response has so far been rather lukewarm. The Russian ambassador in Bucharest was summoned to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after almost every incident, but there was no preventive shooting down of drones.
That changed radically last weekend. Within 48 hours, the Romanian Air Force shot down three Russian drones that entered the country's airspace. A fourth Russian drone narrowly avoided being shot down on Monday (July 27th), leaving Romanian airspace just moments before it was scheduled to be destroyed.
What is the Romanian air defense doing?
Whenever the Romanian public asked why it was not possible to shoot down drones involved in previous airspace violations and explosions, state and military leaders would usually give convoluted answers and avoid explanations. This time, however, the reaction was different – the Romanian leadership was practically jubilant. President Nikušor Dan, Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, Defense Minister Radu Miruca and Foreign Minister Oana Tou congratulated the Romanian Air Defense Forces. Without explicitly mentioning that it was a turning point in Romanian politics, they praised the "professionalism, courage and efficiency" of the Romanian pilots.
The recent downing of drones is "a categorically positive thing for the army, for Romania and for NATO," defense expert Adrian Popa wrote on the portal G4Media. "It boosts our morale and brings us international recognition. It shows that we are making progress in defending our territory and overcoming the mindset of just waiting and worrying if a drone will fall on our head."
Deep in Romanian airspace
The latter actually almost happened: last Friday (July 24), a Russian drone penetrated deep into Romanian airspace and was successfully shot down on only the second attempt, near the village of Padina in Buzau County – roughly 220 kilometers as the crow flies from the point on the east bank of the Danube Delta where it first entered Romanian territory.
The remains of the downed drone eventually landed on farmland near Padina, and were subsequently identified as being of Russian origin. The second drone was shot down on Saturday over the Danube Delta, about ten kilometers west of the Black Sea coast, and the third on Sunday over the Black Sea itself.
By shooting down those drones, Romania follows the example of Poland and Estonia, where drones have been intercepted before - the last time in Estonia in May 2026, when a Romanian pilot on a NATO mission destroyed a Ukrainian drone, apparently directed by Russia.
Gratitude from Brussels
So far, NATO has issued only general statements as of Monday, condemning the violation of Romanian airspace and noting that the downing of the drones was a "combined multinational operation."
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, congratulated the Romanian army for its "quick and effective response" and expressed gratitude for "protecting the common security of Europe". Moldovan President Maja Sandu also thanked the neighboring country, stating that "the security of Romania is also the security of the Republic of Moldova".
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha wrote on his IX account that the violation of Romanian airspace is "a clear sign of the Kremlin's complete disregard for international law, national sovereignty and European security." Russia, as he said, is constantly testing the determination of the West, and no one should believe that Russian aggression is geographically limited. "The response must match the scale of the threat. We need a comprehensive deterrence package for Ukraine and Europe," Sibiha stressed.
Controversy with far-right groups
In Romania itself, the downing of the drones has sparked a political controversy involving the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which is known for its pro-Russian views. Without explicitly condemning Russia for the drone incidents, the party said: "The political leadership must explain why, after more than four years of war on its border, Romania is still forced to deploy expensive fighter jets and missiles to intercept drones that they should have shot down quickly and effectively much closer to the border."
Notably, the AUR party, although it claims to represent "sovereignist" views, voted against a law last May that would have allowed the Romanian military to shoot down drones violating Romanian airspace more quickly. Virgil Popescu, a member of the European Parliament from Romania's National Liberal Party (PNL), addressed AUR leader George Simion via Facebook: "Not a word about who sent the drones. Only attacks on Romanian state institutions. And the drones were sent by your friend Putin. In fact, your boss."
"It's not an isolated case, it's a pattern"
Meanwhile, Romanian leadership and the public are debating how to interpret the recent drone incidents and what measures the country should take. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Touja, invited the Russian ambassador to Bucharest for a conversation, and withdrew the Romanian ambassador to Moscow for consultations. At the same time, a Russian diplomat received an order from Bucharest to leave Romania within five days. In addition, the Romanian government is considering launching consultations with NATO partners regarding mutual assistance under Article 4 of the Alliance agreement. In a post on IX regarding the airspace violation, Toju stated, "This is not an isolated incident, but a recurring pattern."
This opinion is shared by other politicians, senior military officials, as well as defense experts. In a comment on that problem, the newspaper portal Spotmedia writes: "Diplomatic protest is necessary, but not sufficient. Romania is not at war with Russia. Each incident must be analyzed individually, and the authorities must avoid drawing conclusions that cannot be supported by evidence. However, caution must not be confused with downplaying the problem."
Real journalism costs money, and we will not be bought by tycoons and corporations. Support us with a one-time or monthly donation. The time for it is now!
