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A military drone entered Romanian airspace early Thursday and crashed in an uninhabited area of Tulcea County, prompting fighter jets to scramble, the Defense Ministry stated.
Romanian military radar systems picked up a cluster of aerial targets near the Ukrainian border around 2:23 a.m. local time (12:23 a.m. GMT) Thursday, according to a statement.
Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets took off to track the situation. A Romanian IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter also launched for an aerial reconnaissance mission.
The ministry's statement said that at 3:21 a.m., a drone crossed into Romanian airspace roughly 13 kilometers east of Galati. The helicopter crew spotted the unmanned aircraft crash around 4 kilometers northeast of Grindu village three minutes later.
The impact sparked a fire that burned itself out. Authorities reported no injuries or property damage. A military search team has been dispatched to secure the crash site and inspect the wreckage.
The National Military Command Center triggered public alert measures in the affected area at 3:20 a.m., notifying emergency response officials. The air alert ended at 3:52 a.m, according to the statement.
The ministry did not provide further details on the origin of the drone, but since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, drones have repeatedly violated Romanian airspace, with the frequency of these incidents picking up significantly over time.
Just days before Thursday’s crash, on Aug. 16, Romanian authorities reported their most recent downing of a drone in Galați County. Spanish F-18 fighter jets operating under a NATO air policing mission intercepted and destroyed the unmanned aircraft after it illegally entered Romanian airspace and also overflew Moldova.
The drone, identified as a Shahed 138 (Geran-2) type, was shot down between the localities of Baleni and Cudalbi in an uninhabited area.
Romanian officials have repeatedly blamed Moscow for the violations, describing them as deliberate acts, not accidents. President Nicușor Dan called the incursions "inadmissible and intolerable," adding that such actions are "unacceptable" and being treated with "the utmost seriousness" alongside NATO allies.
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