On the morning of 26 July, a Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down another drone in the country’s airspace, said the country’s Foreign Minister, Oana Țoiu.
According to her, the drone was shot down at around 10.13 am over Romanian territorial waters in the Sulina-Kiliya area. Țoiu praised the “professionalism, courage and efficiency” of the Romanian pilots and ground crews:
“Through their actions, they are helping to protect the national territory and the safety of Romanian citizens.”
Cioiu also referred to the findings of the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office, which concluded that the drone shot down on Friday morning was of the ‘Shahed’ type, used by the Russian army in the war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, investigations into the drones shot down yesterday and today are continuing.
“Romania’s diplomatic protest against the Russian Federation will be based on these investigations. It is unacceptable and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romania’s airspace, which is also NATO airspace and European Union airspace. Such actions are unacceptable, and we take them very seriously, together with our allies,” the minister added.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on this statement.
On 24 July, a Romanian pilot shot down an unidentified drone over Romanian territory, according to Romanian President Nicușor Dan. Subsequently, the public prosecutor’s office attached to the Court of Appeal in the Romanian city of Ploiești confirmed that the drone was a Russian ‘Shahed’-type drone.