Romania Bolsters Defences Against Russian Drone Incursions

Romania's defense ministry safely detonated drone fragments found in Rachelu village, revealing them to be linked to Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports. The EU and NATO member reports frequent airspace incursions by Russian drones. Romania seeks enhanced anti-drone capabilities, integrating new systems and seeking support from NATO and the EU.

Romania's defense ministry has safely detonated drone fragments discovered in the southeastern village of Rachelu, near the Ukraine border. This debris is tied to a Russian attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure.

As an EU and NATO member sharing a substantial border with Ukraine, Romania reports that Russian drones have breached its airspace 29 times since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, with 15 occurrences this year. Notably, in May, a drone crash injured two people in a Romanian apartment building, marking the first such incident in a NATO country during the ongoing conflict.

After a resident reported the drone fragments containing explosives, the Romanian defense ministry has called for additional NATO anti-drone support, particularly low-altitude radars and interceptor drones. The country is also bolstering air defenses with the integration of the Merops interceptor drone system and EU's SAFE rearmament initiative.