Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador to Bucharest on Sunday after confirming that a Russian military drone briefly entered its airspace—making it the second NATO ally in under a week to report such an incident.
Regional tensions rise: The breach follows Poland’s report last week that Russian drones crossed its border, prompting NATO and Polish jets to intercept them. The incidents have escalated fears along the alliance’s eastern flank amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. An EU official condemned Sunday’s violation as a “reckless escalation,” while NATO reinforced its defenses Friday under Operation Eastern Sentry, a coordinated mission supported by France, Germany, the U.K., and Denmark.
What happened: Romania’s Defense Ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled at 6:05 p.m. local time Saturday to monitor activity near the Ukrainian border after Russian strikes on Danube River infrastructure. At 6:23 p.m., the jets detected and tracked a Russian drone inside Romanian airspace before radar contact was lost roughly 12 miles from the village of Chilia Veche. Officials stressed the drone never passed over populated areas and posed no direct danger to civilians. Moscow has not yet issued a formal response.
European leaders react: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the incursion “a blatant violation of EU sovereignty” and vowed coordinated action to safeguard member states. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said summoning the Russian ambassador was a “protest against this unacceptable and irresponsible act, which violates Romania’s sovereignty.”
Broader context: After Poland’s incident, former U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters the breach “could have been a mistake” but expressed unease about escalating tensions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the idea of accidental incursions, asserting on X (formerly Twitter) that “Russia knows exactly where its drones are headed … This is an intentional expansion of the war.”
Meanwhile, Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov suggested on Telegram that Poland’s claims looked like “a provocation or misunderstanding,” accusing Warsaw of avoiding consultations proposed by Moscow.
The close timing of these incidents underscores the growing volatility along NATO’s eastern borders as the war in Ukraine grinds on.
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