Romania shoots down three drones near Ukraine border; defense minister demands diplomatic protest and slams pro-Russian propagandists
Romanian fighter jets intercepted and destroyed three drones that entered the country's airspace near the Danube border with Ukraine within 48 hours. Defense Minister Radu Miruță called for a diplomatic protest as the Russian ambassador was summoned, and attacked pro-Russian voices who deny the war.
Three interceptions in 48 hours
Romanian fighter jets shot down three drones that crossed into Romanian airspace near the Danube border with Ukraine between Friday 24 and Sunday 26 July. The president confirmed the first drone, downed on Friday, was of Russian origin. Debris analysis for the Saturday and Sunday drones is still underway. For Sunday’s incident, military pilots tracked the drone on radar and shot it down in a safe zone within five minutes of its illegal entry, according to interim Defense Minister Radu Miruță. He noted that the fighter aircraft’s minimum speed is about two and a half times that of the drone, calling the interception a display of pilot skill. The missile impact pulverizes the drone, making the forensic analysis of the tiny remains more complex.
- First drone downed; president confirms Russian origin.
- Second drone intercepted and destroyed; debris analysis underway.
- Third drone shot down within five minutes of entering airspace.
Diplomatic escalation
Miruță stressed the need for a diplomatic protest, stating that Romania is not a country at war and that international law must be respected. He said he had spoken with Foreign Minister Țoiu, who ordered the Russian ambassador summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Monday 27 July.
România nu este o țară aflată în război, există niște reguli de drept internațional. Cei care produc aceste drone sunt obligați să se asigure că aceste drone nu ajung să intre acolo unde legea nu permite.
The minister urged Romania to assert stronger diplomatic demands given the repeated airspace violations.
Pro-Russian propagandists under fire
Miruță directly criticized pro-Russian voices in Romania who deny the war, saying that a few hundred meters from Romania’s border, people are dying. He described a high security dynamic and insisted the propagandists must acknowledge the reality on the other bank of the Danube.
E o dinamică de securitate mare, trebuie să conștientizeze și propagandiștii ‘pro-ruși’ din România, care spun că nu există acest război, că la câteva sute de metri de granița României se moare.
The defense chief said the Romanian Army is using all available tools to protect citizens.
A real war meters away
Miruță described a real war unfolding on the opposite bank of the Danube, where it “smells of gunpowder and people are dying.” He said Romania is beginning to see indirect consequences of the conflict with increasing frequency. The military has been re-evaluating and upgrading its anti-drone posture every two weeks, analyzing recovered debris to adapt to changing drone technology. Response times have improved: the first interception took longer, the next day was noticeably shorter.
La granițele României cu Ucraina există un război real. La câteva sute de metri pe malul celălalt al Dunării, miroase a praf de pușcă și se moare.
NATO support and new capabilities
After justifying Romania’s needs to NATO, the alliance validated the request. The Defense Ministry then managed to contract new anti-drone equipment in three and a half months, with the contract signed at the end of May 2026. Miruță said Romania went back to NATO “with a firm voice,” having done its homework, and obtained temporary support for the new capabilities.
Am mers la NATO, am solicitat sprijin punctual cu niște capabilități pe care le-am justificat de ce este nevoie, s-a validat justificarea pe care noi am făcut-o.
The new tools are designed specifically for drone threats, not based on fighter aircraft originally meant for other missions. Miruță welcomed the fact that measures taken in recent weeks have now proved effective in downing the drones.
