Lyce · Hybrid Watch
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NATO fighter shoots down suspected Russian drone after it enters Romanian airspace.
On 16 August, a drone entered Romanian national airspace from the direction of Moldova near Galați. Romanian authorities detected the aircraft on radar and NATO air-policing forces were activated. A Spanish F-18 fighter operating under NATO air policing intercepted the drone. The aircraft was authorised to engage after establishing radar contact with the target. The drone was shot down at approximately 05:01 local time. Fragments fell in an uninhabited area between two Romanian villages. NATO subsequently stated that the drone appeared to be Russian, although Romanian authorities said its origin remained under investigation. This was the fourth drone that Romanian forces had shot down over the country in 2026. The incident represents a direct breach of NATO airspace associated with Russia’s ongoing drone campaign against neighbouring Ukraine.
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On 16 August, a drone entered Romanian national airspace from the direction of Moldova near Galați. Romanian authorities detected the aircraft on radar and NATO air-policing forces were activated. A Spanish F-18 fighter operating under NATO air policing intercepted the drone. The aircraft was authorised to engage after establishing radar contact with the target. The drone was shot down at approximately 05:01 local time. Fragments fell in an uninhabited area between two Romanian villages. NATO subsequently stated that the drone appeared to be Russian, although Romanian authorities said its origin remained under investigation. This was the fourth drone that Romanian forces had shot down over the country in 2026. The incident represents a direct breach of NATO airspace associated with Russia’s ongoing drone campaign against neighbouring Ukraine.