Romania downs third drone in three days, summons Russian envoy over airspace violations

· ConflictDiplomacy ROURUSUKR
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Romania shot down a third drone in as many days on Sunday, intercepting the aircraft over its territorial waters in the Black Sea, and summoned Russia's ambassador to protest repeated airspace violations. The drone was destroyed at 10:13 a.m. near Sulina, 12 kilometres off the coast, after two F-16 fighters were scrambled when surveillance systems detected the target at 08:22.

President Nicușor Dan confirmed the debris recovered from Friday's interception — an earlier incursion near Padina — belonged to a Shahed drone of the type Russia deploys against Ukraine. Bucharest plans to file a formal diplomatic protest with Moscow. Dozens of airspace incursions have occurred since Russia's full-scale invasion began.

The interceptions came as eleven people were killed in a Ukrainian strike on a summer camp in the Zaporizhzhia region and three died in a Russian drone attack on Sumy.

Story development

  1. Romania declares Russian diplomat persona non grata after drone incursions
  2. Romania downs third drone in three days, summons Russian envoy over airspace violations
  3. Romanian F-16 shoots down drone in first interception since Ukraine war began

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