Romanian F-16s shot down two drones over the Black Sea

On Saturday evening, Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two drones that had illegally entered Romanian airspace over the Black Sea. Two aircraft from the country’s Air Force were deployed to intercept the drones.

 

“The Black Sea will once again be safe. Two F-16 fighter jets of the Romanian Air Force shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles that entered our airspace over the Black Sea without permission. We have already informed our allies and EU partners,” the ministry stated.

Military officials reported that the first drone entered national airspace at 5:59 p.m. and was shot down within two minutes, 25 kilometers southeast of Sulina.

A second drone in the same area was intercepted and shot down at 6:05 p.m., four minutes after entering national airspace—20 kilometers east of Sulina.

“The Black Sea is a critically important maritime artery for the global export of grain, energy resources, and industrial goods, so its stability is of vital importance for international food and energy security,” the ministry added.

The Foreign Ministry noted that, at Romania’s initiative, a special meeting of the North Atlantic Council will be held on Tuesday to address issues of defense and deterrence in the Black Sea.

Earlier, Romania accused Russia of attacking merchant ships in the Black Sea.

Late in the evening on October 14, a merchant ship at anchor caught fire in Romanian territorial waters. The crew was evacuated, Romanian authorities reported.

Since early October, five commercial vessels have been struck off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria. Both countries are NATO members. The attacks on the vessels were recorded in the Black Sea off the coasts of these two NATO member states. Approximately 23 sailors have died or are considered missing.