A Romanian fighter jet has shot down an unidentified drone in national airspace on Friday, marking the first time the NATO member state has successfully destroyed an aerial target since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
The interception took place over the village of Padina, located approximately 114 kilometres northeast of the capital, Bucharest.
President Nicusor Dan confirmed during a media briefing that a Romanian Air Force F-16 pilot engaged and destroyed the target shortly after 11:00 am local time.
The president explained that the strike was carried out over an unpopulated rural zone, enabling the pilot to fire safely from above without risk to civilians.
Investigative teams from several state security agencies are currently at the crash site to recover the wreckage and determine the origin of the aircraft.
Military radar systems first detected the incoming target at 9:39 am, prompting air defence commanders to launch a rapid response.
Two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons and two Romanian F-16 jets were dispatched to monitor and track the path of the drone.
The defence ministry confirmed that a Romanian F-16 had locked onto the target and brought it down at 11:02 am.
Foreign drones have entered Romanian territory on dozens of occasions during military actions in neighbouring Ukraine, but local forces did not shoot down previous incursions.
The incident follows a previous event in May when an errant drone hit an apartment building in Romania, injuring two people and prompting warnings from NATO and European Union officials regarding regional security risks.
