NATO member Romania, bordering Ukraine, scrambled fighter jets early on Wednesday after a fresh drone incursion into its territory, the defence ministry said.
‘The drone reappeared intermittently on radar for approximately 12 minutes’ following Russian air strikes near Romania’s border with Ukraine, the ministry said in a press release, adding that ‘no cases of aircraft impact with the ground have been reported’.
The incident is the latest in a series of drone sightings across mainland Europe, often causing severe disruption to major airports.
The frequency of such incursions has increased since September, when more than 20 Russian drones breached Polish airspace.
Romania has had Russian drone fragments fall on to its territory many times since Moscow waged its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The country previously scrambled F-16 fighter jets on September 14 in response to a drone incursion during a Russian attack on infrastructure in neighbouring Ukraine.
The origins of several of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unknown, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described them as ‘hybrid warfare’ waged by Vladimir Putin.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
