Drone Breached Romanian Airspace for Nearly an Hour This Past Weekend

A drone breached Romanian airspace on Saturday, September 13, 2025, flying over Romania for nearly an hour, Orda.kz reports.

This prompted Bucharest to scramble fighter jets and raise the alarm at the border. It is the longest such incursion in recent memory, and Romania is now reinforcing its defenses on its eastern flank. 

F-16s were scrambled first, and German Eurofighters later joined the mission. The drone was tracked as it neared the village of Chilia Veche in Tulcea County — it had penetrated approximately ten kilometers into Romanian territory before disappearing from radar on a path toward Ukraine. 

Defense Minister Ionuț Moșteanu admitted the F-16 pilots were on the verge of shooting down the intruder, citing its dangerously low altitude. Local residents near the border were put on alert and told to take cover, while helicopters checked for possible debris. 

The Romanian parliament had approved legislation last summer allowing the downing of rogue drones even during peacetime. However, its implementation details remain unclear, raising questions about how decisions would play out in real scenarios.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking on September 13, 2025, said this latest incursion was “a clear expansion of the war by Russia.” He stressed that the Russian military “knows exactly where their drones are heading and how long they can stay in the air.” 

The incident has stirred diplomatic uproar across Europe.

Sweden called the breach “unacceptable,” emphasizing that Romania — as a NATO and EU member — has the right to rely on the support of its allies. Meanwhile, NATO headquarters announced plans to bolster its eastern flank amid mounting pressure from Russian operations

Original Author: Kamila Yermakhanova