Spanish F-18 Shoots Down Drone After It Enters Romanian Airspace Near Galați
A Spanish F-18 fighter jet shot down a drone that violated Romanian airspace near Galați early Sunday, Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said.
Romanian surveillance systems detected the aerial target at 4:44 a.m. local time after it entered Romanian airspace from the direction of Moldova, approximately 24 kilometers north of Galați.
Spanish F-18 Authorized to Engage
The Spanish F-18, operating from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base as part of NATO’s air-policing mission, established radar contact with the target and received authorization to engage it.
The drone was shot down at 5:01 a.m.
Drone Debris Located Near Băleni and Cudalbi
Authorities identified a possible debris impact area between Băleni and Cudalbi in Galați County, in an unpopulated location.
The air alert for Galați County ended at 5:20 a.m.
Romania’s Defence Ministry has not identified the origin of the drone, meaning its flight path from Moldova does not necessarily indicate that it was launched from Moldovan territory.
The incident marks the fourth drone shot down over Romania this year, following several previous airspace violations linked to the continuing war in neighboring Ukraine.
