Few of Ukraine's neighbors have been as affected by Russian airstrikes as Romania. Since February 2022, 34 Russian drones and several missiles have violated Romanian airspace. The majority of the incidents, 19 in total, occurred in 2026.
Drones have exploded several times over Romanian territory. The most serious incident occurred on May 29, 2026, when a Russian drone hit an apartment building in the city of Galati, destroying it. Two people were injured and dozens of neighbors had to be evacuated.
Although these episodes are already considered systematic provocations by Russia, Bucharest's response had been limited. After almost every incident, the Russian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, but drones had never been shot down.
That changed last weekend. In just 48 hours, the Romanian Air Force shot down three Russian drones that had entered its airspace. A fourth drone was almost shot down on Monday (07/27/2026), but left Romanian airspace before the planned destruction.
A change of posture
Until now, the Romanian Government and Armed Forces responded with ambiguous explanations when asked why they did not shoot down the Russian drones. This time, President Nicusor Dan, Acting Prime Minister Ilie Boloyan, Defense Minister Radu Miruta and Foreign Minister Oana Toiu publicly congratulated the air defense for its “professionalism, courage and efficiency.”
Defense expert Adrian Popa described the decision as “categorically positive for the Army, for Romania and for NATO.” On the G4Media portal he wrote: "This boosts our morale and benefits us internationally. We are showing that we are making progress in defending our territory and that we are overcoming the mentality of simply waiting and worrying about the possibility of a drone falling on us."
The first of the drones penetrated about 220 kilometers into Romanian territory before being shot down near the town of Padina. His remains fell on agricultural lands, and it was later confirmed that he was of Russian origin. The other two were shot down over the Danube delta and the Black Sea.
With this, Romania follows the example of Poland and Estonia, which had already shot down drones that violated their airspace.
International reactions
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, congratulated the Romanian Army for its “rapid and effective response” and thanked it for its contribution to European security. Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Romania's security is also that of Moldova.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the drone incursion “a clear sign of the Kremlin's total disregard for international law, national sovereignty and European security.” Likewise, he added that “the response must be proportional to the magnitude of the threat” and called for a joint deterrence package for Ukraine and Europe.
Internal political debate
Its critics recalled that the party voted against a law that would have allowed it to react more quickly to this type of incursions. Liberal MEP Virgil Popescu responded to AUR leader George Simion: "Not a word about who sent the drones. Only attacks against the institutions of the Romanian state. The drones were sent by your friend Putin. Well, by your boss."
Meanwhile, Bucharest is considering expelling a Russian diplomat and considering convening consultations with its NATO allies under Article 4 of the treaty. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu, summarized the Government's concern this way: “It is not an isolated incident, but a recurring pattern.”
The Spotmedia portal concludes that diplomatic protests are necessary, but insufficient: each incident must be investigated cautiously, although without downplaying the increasing frequency of Russian incursions.
