Spanish F-18 shoots down drone over Romania on NATO air policing duty

Published Aug 16, 08:53 AM UTC

A Spanish F-18 fighter jet on NATO air policing duty shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace from Moldova early Sunday, marking the fourth such intercept by Romania this year. Romanian radar detected the drone at 4:44 a.m. local time near Galați, and two Spanish F-18s were dispatched from the 57th Air Base. One jet engaged and shot down the drone at 5:01 a.m., with wreckage falling in an unpopulated area between Băleni and Cudalbi. No injuries or property damage were reported. Romania's defense minister Radu Miruta credited Spanish pilots and Romanian command personnel. The incident follows previous drone incursions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine, including a July incident where Romanian F-16s shot down three Russian drones. Romania recently passed legislation authorizing its military to destroy unidentified aircraft entering its airspace. The drone's origin remains under investigation.