The new incident of violation of Romanian airspace on July 24 caused a sharp reaction in Kiev and Bucharest.
According to data from the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, a Russian "Shahed" drone flew a record distance of over 350 km over sovereign NATO territory. The air target passed over the Sulina, Baila and Fetești regions before being shot down by a Romanian F-16 fighter jet near Padina, Buzau County.
Sibiga: Russia is testing the West's resolve
In an official statement, Ukraine's top diplomat Andriy Sibiga strongly condemned Russian aggression and stressed that the Kremlin is deliberately studying NATO's collective reactions.
- Hybrid Threat: Moscow's Actions Set the Stage for Further Hybrid Escalation in Europe.
- Weak responses: The lack of a strong reaction from the West only encourages the Kremlin to raise the stakes.
- Global risk: Russian terror can no longer be geographically isolated within the borders of Ukraine.
Minister Sibiga called on the international community to immediately implement a package of comprehensive measures. It includes the imposition of maximum sanction pressure on Moscow and joint coordinated efforts to fully protect European skies.
Timeline of the escalation along the NATO border
The incident is the deepest penetration of a Russian drone into Alliance territory since the beginning of the war. A total of four fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the fast-moving aircraft under NATO command. Initially, two Italian Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase failed to hit the target. Shortly afterwards, two Romanian F-16s took off from Fetești airbase, one of which successfully destroyed the drone with an anti-aircraft missile over an uninhabited area.
This is another serious breakthrough after another Russian drone carrying explosives crashed into a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați in late May 2026, injuring two civilians.