Romanian F-16 shoots down drone violating airspace

Published Jul 24, 09:25 AM UTC

On July 24, 2026, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that violated Romanian airspace, as confirmed by President Nicușor Dan on social media. The incident occurred around 11:00 a.m. local time in an uninhabited region, allowing the pilot to engage without risk. Authorities are investigating the area to determine the drone's origin, which remains unconfirmed but is believed to be either Ukrainian or Russian. The shoot-down coincides with an air raid alert in Kyiv, Ukraine, due to a Russian attack. This follows a previous incident in May 2026 when a Russian Geran-2 drone (modeled on the Iranian Shahed-136) crashed into a residential building in Romania. The event highlights ongoing airspace security concerns near the Ukraine-Romania border amid the war in Ukraine.