Romania has condemned Moscow’s “irresponsible actions” after alleging that a Russian drone breached Romanian airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine, prompting Bucharest to scramble fighter jets.

The Russian drone used in attacks on Ukraine entered Romanian airspace at 6.05 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to Romania’s defense ministry.

The incident comes days after Poland shot down Russian drones that had violated its airspace earlier this week – prompting NATO allies to pledge to beef up defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank.

The drone was intercepted by two F-16 fighter jets, which were carrying out an air patrol mission in northern Dobruja and, according to the ministry, came close to downing it.

The drone orbited for about 50 minutes, according to a statement from the defense ministry, before leaving national airspace near the town of Pardina in northern Dobruja, heading towards Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the claims.

The F-16 fighter jets had intermittent contact with the drone – visually and by radar – the statement said. Its pilots received authorization to shoot it down but decided not to open fire after assessing the collateral risks.

“The Ministry of National Defense firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation and emphasizes that they represent a new challenge to regional security and stability in the Black Sea area,” the statement said.

The ministry added that the incident demonstrates a “lack of respect for the norms of international law” by Russia. It also endangers the safety of Romanian citizens and the collective security of NATO, the ministry said.

The Romanian foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador to the country, Vladimir Lipaev, on Sunday, according to Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu.

Lipaev rejected the foreign minister’s statements to him and called the incident “another provocation of the Kyiv regime,” Russian state media TASS reported.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, condemned the violation of Romanian airspace as “yet another unacceptable breach of an EU member state’s sovereignty.”

“This continued reckless escalation threatens regional security,” Kallas wrote in a post on X. “We stand in solidarity with Romania. I am in close contact with the Romanian government.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X Saturday: “Today, Romania scrambled combat aircraft because of a Russian drone in its airspace. According to current data, the drone penetrated about 10 kilometers (around 6 miles) into Romanian territory and operated in NATO airspace for around 50 minutes.”

In light of the incident, Zelensky reiterated calls for sanctions against Russia and collective defense. “Do not wait for dozens of ‘shaheds’ and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions,” he said. (CNN)

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