Russian drones on Saturday breached Romanian airspace during a large-scale attack on Ukraine, triggering an immediate response from Romania, a NATO and EU member state.
Romanian defence ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were on alert after a drone crossed roughly 10 kilometres into its airspace, remaining undetected for nearly 50 minutes before disappearing from radar.
According to the ministry, the drone was detected southwest of the village of Chilia Veche, near the Danube Delta. While it did not affect inhabited areas or pose an immediate threat to civilians, Romanian authorities issued warnings in the Tulcea region, urging residents to take shelter.
“The drone did not fly over inhabited areas and did not pose an immediate danger to the population,” the ministry said in a statement.
Reuters reports that Poland responded to similar drone activity, temporarily closing the Lublin airport and deploying both national and allied aircraft.
This follows an earlier event where Polish forces, with NATO air support, shot down Russian drones violating Polish airspace.
Speaking on the incident, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the actions are far from accidental, accusing Russia of deliberately escalating the war into NATO territory.
“The Russian military knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air. Their routes are always calculated,” he wrote on X.
“This cannot be a coincidence or the initiative of some lower-level commanders. It is an obvious expansion of the war by Russia,” he added.
Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s plan is to slowly increase its attacks, step by step, to see how the world reacts. He said these small moves are meant to cause bigger problems over time and create more instability in the region.
He called for stronger international action, including sanctions, tariffs, and a collective defence initiative involving Ukraine and its Western allies.
The recent airspace violations come amid fresh attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, particularly in northern regions near Belarus, where Ukrainian intelligence believes drones may have been launched through Belarusian territory.
In response, NATO announced plans to strengthen its eastern wing, and Romania passed legislation earlier this year authorising the military to shoot down drones illegally entering its airspace during peacetime.
However, implementation has stalled due to pending enforcement protocols.
The growing frequency of these violations raises fears that Russia is edging closer to provoking a direct confrontation with NATO.
“Do not wait for dozens of ‘Shaheds’ and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions,” Zelenskyy warned.
