BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) 鈥� Since Russia鈥檚 full in February 2022, the war has repeatedly spilled across Romania’s border as drones violate the airspace of the neighboring European Union and NATO member.
Now Romania is trying something new to stop the incursions: the drones.
Romanian pilots shot down the first of three drones in as many days from F-16 fighter jets starting Friday as Russia intensified attacks against Ukraine near the border. After determining the drones were of Russian origin, Romania summoned Moscow鈥檚 ambassador in protest and expelled a Russian diplomat on Monday.
Drones have crossed into Romanian territory multiple times from Ukraine to the north and east, including in May when a after crashing into an apartment block in the eastern town of Galati along the Danube River.
Romanian authorities largely responded by scrambling jets, collecting debris, erecting fallout shelters near the border and frequently admonishing Moscow for its war spilling into its territory.
Romania and Poland also , which fires short counter-drones to take down incoming stray drones, following a spate of incursions along NATO鈥檚 eastern flank late last year.
Drones have , but have been a persistent problem for Romania’s leadership in the capital Bucharest. At least 19 have entered Romania鈥檚 airspace this year, while there have been 50 cases of drones or drone fragments identified on its territory since the war started in 2022, according to Romania’s Ministry of National Defense.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Sunday congratulated the Romanian pilots for downing the drones and blamed Russia for the incursions.
鈥淚t is unacceptable and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romanian airspace,鈥� he said.
Romania shifts the approach to stray drones
Despite passing legislation last year to shoot down drones in its airspace, which was strongly opposed by nationalist political parties, Romania has avoided shooting them down until now.
Romanian military analyst Radu Tudor said the May drone incident in Galati may have 鈥渃hanged something in the Romanian authorities鈥� mentality鈥� in how to approach the issue.
鈥淭his was somehow a kind of psychological trigger, in order to say: 鈥極K, enough is enough,鈥欌�� Tudor said. 鈥淯ntil now, it probably was an Allied decision in NATO not to respond with firepower, because it was somehow a danger of escalation.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 not only a change of attitude of Romania, I think it鈥檚 a change of attitude in NATO,鈥� he added.
Before the three interceptions over the past week, Romanian pilots also in May. Romanian pilots and planes are based in Lithuania to provide broad strike capabilities for NATO.
鈥淭hey saw so many signals that Russia is trying to provoke NATO,鈥� Tudor said. 鈥淩omania is the only NATO country who shot down four drones on the eastern flank 鈥� three on Romania and one in Estonia.鈥�
The message sent to Moscow mirrors a statement by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this month: 鈥溾�楧on鈥檛 play with us鈥�.鈥�
Russian diplomat expelled
In response to the drone incursions, Romania鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russia鈥檚 ambassador in Bucharest on Monday and presented him with fragments of a drone, saying Moscow 鈥渂ears exclusive responsibility for all these grave incidents.鈥� The ministry also expelled a member of the Russian mission, who was given five days to leave the country.
鈥淭he Russian side learned what they already knew: the drones downed on Romanian territory belong to them,鈥� Foreign Minister Oana Toiu wrote in a post on X. 鈥淒rone fragments recovered by the Ministry of National Defence and the ongoing prosecutor investigation confirm their Russian origin beyond any doubt.鈥�
The Russian embassy in Romania responded in a statement posted on its Facebook page, saying Russia 鈥渉as never directed and does not direct combat drones鈥� to Romanian territory and denied the allegation as 鈥渃ompletely unfounded.鈥�
鈥淎n unprovoked expulsion of a Russian employee will not go unanswered,鈥� the embassy said.
Tactical shift to down errant drones
Cristian Popovici, the Romanian defense ministry鈥檚 head of public relations and a former air defense officer, said tactics have been developed to eliminate errant drones.
鈥淲e recorded more than 100 attacks with drones near our border with Ukraine, and many of them resulted in debris or even drones that penetrated our airspace,鈥� he told The Associated Press. 鈥淥ur pilots and our air force, we developed the tactics, procedures, and now we can face and we can eliminate this threat.鈥�
The change began when Romanian pilots shot down a drone over Estonian airspace and from that point the military applied 鈥渓essons learned鈥� and had a 鈥�100% rate success in three days with three drones,鈥� Popovici said.
Despite the new approach to stray drones, Popovici said Romania does not plan to become entangled in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
鈥淲e are in a peacetime, we are not involved in this fight,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f Russia wants to escalate with NATO, it鈥檚 up to them. I鈥檓 not sure it鈥檚 a wise move now.鈥�
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McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.
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