Romania says no debris found after suspected drone incursion

Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after a suspected drone was detected inside its airspace during an overnight Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, but authorities said on Wednesday they found no evidence that the aircraft crashed on Romanian territory, the Ministry of National Defence posted on its official Facebook handle.

Romania’s Defence Ministry said radar detected an unmanned aircraft about 8 kilometres inside national airspace near the villages of Periprava and Chilia Veche in Tulcea county. The signal then dropped out before appearing again at intervals near Galați county, according to the ministry.

Two German Eurofighter jets on a NATO air-policing mission were scrambled first, followed by two Romanian F-16s from Câmpia Turzii air base. During the alert, authorities urged residents in Tulcea and Galați counties to take shelter.

The ministry said there were no reports of a drone crashing or of debris falling on Romanian territory. No impact site was identified during subsequent searches.

Romania, a NATO member that shares a 650-kilometre border with Ukraine, has repeatedly detected drones and drone debris linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The latest incident came as Russia launched a large overnight attack against Ukrainian infrastructure, highlighting the growing risk of the conflict spilling across the alliance’s eastern flank.