November 25, Romanian and German NATO fighter jets were scrambled near Romania’s border with Ukraine to respond to a drone intrusion that penetrated Romanian airspace farther than ever before, which Bucharest labeled a Russian provocation. Romanian Defence Minister Ionuț Mosteanu said NATO pilots came close to shooting down the drone, which had repeatedly entered Romanian airspace, but held off due to concerns about potential damage on the ground. Fragments of the drone, which did not contain explosives, were later recovered in Romania.

“This is a new Russian provocation against Romania,” Mosteanu said, noting that Romanian forces and German Eurofighters had attempted to intercept the drone. He added that the pilots likely assessed the risk of collateral damage and chose not to engage. The incident follows Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian ports near the Romanian border across the Danube River. Tuesday’s intrusion marked Romania’s 13th airspace breach since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was not only the deepest incursion but also the first to occur during daylight rather than at night.

The Romanian Defence Ministry reported that two German Eurofighters initially tracked the drone in Tulcea County before it returned to Ukraine. Later, Romanian F-16s were scrambled after radar detected a second breach in Galati County, followed by two more Eurofighters. The drone eventually moved toward Vrancea County, over 100 km inland and not bordering Ukraine. Residents of the affected counties were temporarily advised to take cover.

Romania, which shares a 650-km border with Ukraine, has legislation allowing the shooting down of drones in peacetime if lives or property are at risk, though it has not fully exercised this authority. During a visit to US troops at Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, General Christopher Donahue, commander of US Army Europe and Africa, announced that a new drone-defense system will soon be deployed to Romania, with Romanian and allied troops already trained on its use.

The incident comes amid rising tensions along Europe’s eastern border, as suspected Russian drones have repeatedly violated NATO airspace. It also occurs while US and Ukrainian officials are holding intensive talks to reconcile differences over a plan to end the war, following revisions to a US proposal that Kyiv and European allies previously viewed as favoring Kremlin demands.