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A Romanian F-16 combatant pitchy changeable down a drone that entered nan country’s airspace without authorization Friday, marking nan first clip nan NATO member has intercepted and destroyed a drone wrong its nationalist airspace, authorities said.
Romanian officials person not yet identified nan drone’s root aliases purpose. Romania’s service main said pilots described it arsenic appearing to beryllium a Shahed-type drone, Reuters reported, nan Iran-designed onslaught drone wide utilized by Russia against Ukraine.
The incident carries nonstop implications for nan U.S. and its NATO allies, arsenic repeated airspace breaches on nan alliance’s eastbound flank person fueled concerns that Russia’s war successful Ukraine could spill crossed NATO borders. Romania, which borders Ukraine, has reported dozens of drone incursions aliases debris incidents since Moscow launched its full-scale penetration successful 2022.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said nan interception took spot complete an unpopulated area successful Buzău County.
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An F-16 combatant pitchy takes portion successful nan NATO Air Shielding workout adjacent nan aerial guidelines successful Lask, cardinal Poland, Oct. 12, 2022. (Radoslaw Jozwiak/AFP via Getty Images)
"Today astatine 11:02 AM, a Romanian aviator flying an F-16 combatant pitchy changeable down a drone that had entered our airspace without authorization — nan first clip a drone has been intercepted and destroyed successful Romania's nationalist airspace," Țoiu wrote connected X.
Țoiu antecedently told Fox News Digital July 2 that Russian drones had been detected wrong Ukraine astir 19 miles from Romania’s border, prompting 2 Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets operating from Romania’s 86th Air Base successful Fetești to scramble nether NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission. A Romanian Air Force IAR 330 Puma chopper was besides deployed, she said astatine nan time.
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Explosion pursuing what Romania's defense ministry says was a detonation of Russian drone fragments recovered successful a location fixed arsenic adjacent Rachelu village, Romania, successful this screengrab taken from a handout video released June 30, 2026. (Romanian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
"Such incidents person perpetually accompanied Russia’s forbidden warfare of aggression against Ukraine," Țoiu told Fox News Digital.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Defense Minister Radu Miruță reaffirmed nan country’s committedness to protecting its airspace and investing successful modern air-defense and anti-drone capabilities, according to Țoiu.
The incident underscores nan increasing threat on NATO’s eastbound flank arsenic Russia continues strikes crossed Ukraine and Kyiv progressively targets Russian subject and power infrastructure deeper wrong Russia.
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Emergency labor activity astatine nan tract of a Russian rocket strikes, amid Russia's onslaught connected Ukraine, successful Kyiv region, July 24, 2026. (Press work of nan State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)
The drone shootdown came arsenic Ukraine reported deadly Russian strikes successful nan Kyiv region and Slovyansk.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a rescue cognition was underway successful nan Kyiv region aft a Russian rocket onslaught killed six group and wounded dozens. Reuters later reported that Ukrainian officials and manufacture representatives said nan onslaught killed 10 group and injured adjacent to 100 astatine a tract wherever a defense manufacture arena was being held.
"There were besides casualties successful Slovyansk pursuing guided aerial explosive strikes," Zelenskyy said. "Five group were killed. My condolences to their families. Nine others were injured. The Russians damaged mean homes, nan consulate building, and vehicles."
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said Latvia’s honorary consulate building successful Slovyansk, successful Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, was destroyed Friday greeting successful a Russian onslaught involving a KAB-250 guided aerial bomb, according to accusation provided by Ukrainian authorities.
Braže said Latvia’s honorary consul, Oleksandr Pavenko, was not injured, but 2 consulate unit members were wounded. She informed European Union and NATO overseas ministers and world organizations astir nan incident, while Latvia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires and delivered a statement of protest.
"Russia will beryllium held accountable for this and different violations of world law," Latvia’s Foreign Ministry said. "All warfare crimes committed by Russia must beryllium thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must beryllium brought to justice."
Zelenskyy called nan strikes "brutal attacks connected civilians" and again pressed Ukraine’s partners for air-defense support.
"Interceptors for Patriot systems are nan number 1 priority," he said.
Ukraine besides said its forces had struck 1 of Russia’s cardinal subject enterprises successful Kirov, which Zelenskyy said supplies components for Russian craft and rocket systems utilized successful attacks connected Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had besides hit an lipid facility astir 840 miles distant and that operations against Russian logistics supplying drone components, navigation instrumentality and subject cogwheel remained underway. Ukrainian outlet UNN reported that Zelenskyy confirmed nan Kirov onslaught and nan long-range onslaught connected nan lipid facility.
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Smoke rises from Wildberries facility, from what nan Ukrainian authorities opportunity was pursuing a drone attack, successful Shushary, Pushkinsky District, St. Petersburg, Russia July 24, 2026 successful this surface drawback taken from a societal media video. (Social media/via Reuters)
The Security Council is expected to clasp an emergency gathering connected Ukraine Monday astatine 10 a.m., arsenic requested by Ukraine, according to a United Nations schedule viewed by Fox News Digital. The gathering comes aft Kyiv has many times urged nan world organization to respond much forcefully to Russia’s attacks connected civilians and infrastructure.
The back-and-forth comes arsenic Kyiv is trying to show battlefield momentum contempt continued Russian rocket and drone attacks.
Outgoing Ukrainian Commander successful Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine had recaptured 270 quadrate miles of territory successful 2026 and was handing complete to his successor "an service that is not only holding nan defence but is besides connected nan offensive," Reuters reported Wednesday.
Fox News Digital reached retired to nan Russian defense ministry but didn't person a consequence successful clip for publication.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Efrat (Effie) Lachter is an investigative journalist, filmmaker and warfare correspondent. She has directed and produced complete 200 documentary segments crossed much than 40 countries. Recipient of nan 2022 Peres Center for Peace Award, Lachter is besides a 2023-24 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow astatine nan University of Michigan. She holds a bachelor's grade successful connection and a master's grade successful governmental science.
