Source: Reuters
Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two drones over the country’s territorial waters on Saturday, the defence ministry said.
Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Sunday the drones were likely latest generation Russian drones, flying at speeds similar to fighter jets.
“The ones from last night were flying at 450 km/h, which leads us to think they were Russian-made Geran-4 drones with a turboprop engine,” Miruta said. “This is the first time we’ve shot down drones like these.”
The drones were brought down days after two chemical tankers were hit by drones near Romania’s Black Sea coast, the latest in a series of attacks highlighting risks to commercial shipping on NATO’s eastern flank.
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Both vessels were anchored near the Sulina Canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea and is an export route for Ukraine.
NATO member Romania shares a 614-km (381-mile) border with Ukraine, much of it along the Danube, and has repeatedly reported Russian drone incursions into its airspace since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.