Romania Downs a Russian Drone and Summons Moscow’s Envoy
Romania scrambled a fighter jet to shoot down a suspected Russian drone that had entered its airspace, and summoned Moscow’s ambassador in protest, in the latest spillover of the Ukraine war onto Nato territory. It was said to be the third such incursion into Romanian skies. The alliance has repeatedly complained of Russian drones straying across its eastern frontier.
Romania, a Nato member bordering Ukraine, has scrambled aircraft several times as Russian strikes on Ukrainian Danube ports send drones and debris across the border. The summoning of the Russian envoy signals Bucharest’s growing impatience, and adds to alliance anxiety over how to respond to repeated violations of its airspace without being drawn into the war. Poland and the Baltic states have voiced similar concerns. Each incursion tests Nato’s rules of engagement on its eastern flank. Watch for any coordinated alliance response and further incidents along the border.