Romania says a Russian drone has breached its airspace - the second NATO country to report such an incursion.
Romanian fighter jets were in the air monitoring a Russian attack in Ukraine on Saturday and were able to track the drone near Ukraine's southern border, according to a statement from the defense ministry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the incursion could not be a mistake, labeling it 'an obvious expansion of the war by Russia'. Moscow has yet to comment on the Romanian claims.
Just days earlier, Poland announced it had downed at least three Russian drones that had entered its airspace.
In its statement, Romania's defense ministry disclosed that the drone was detected when two F-16 jets were monitoring the border following recent Russian air attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure along the Danube.
The drone was identified approximately 20km (12.4 miles) southwest of Chilia Veche before it disappeared from radar. However, it did not enter populated areas or pose an immediate threat, the ministry remarked.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, denounced the incident, calling it 'yet another unacceptable breach of an EU member state's sovereignty.'
Poland responded by stating that preventive operations of its aviation, supported by allies, commenced in their airspace, and indicated ground-based air defense systems have heightened their readiness state.
The Czech Republic announced the deployment of a special operations helicopter unit to Poland in light of the situation, consisting of Mi-171S helicopters equipped for combat operations.
In reaction to this latest drone incident, President Zelensky emphasized that the Russian military is aware of their drones' trajectories and operation times, and he reiterated calls for Western nations to impose stricter sanctions on Russia.
Former US President Donald Trump expressed willingness to enforce tougher sanctions, under the condition that NATO members cease purchasing Russian oil.
The ongoing war in Ukraine, intensified by Russia's full-scale invasion since February 2022, has resulted in serious geopolitical ramifications, prompting NATO countries to reassess their defense strategies.
