A Russian drone attack on Ukraine violated NATO airspace over Romania overnight and caused German Eurofighters to scramble in response, German news channel ntv reported on Dec. 14.
Although German crews identified Russian aircraft through visual contact, there was no NATO order to shoot them down. One drone exploded over Romania, preliminary data suggests.
The Romanian Defense Ministry reported a crater 1.5 meters deep had been found near the village of Grind, which is 6.5 kilometers from Romania’s border with Ukraine. The ministry stated the “possible probability” that the crater was made by the Russian drone. Bucharest also deployed F-16 planes to carry out patrols.
“The ministry strongly condemns the attacks by the Russian Federation on individual objects and elements of civilian infrastructure in Ukrainian ports on the Danube,” the Romanian authorities said.
“These attacks are unjustified and seriously violate the norms of international humanitarian law.”
The Ukrainian Air Force reported air defense intercepting 41 of 42 Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones launched by Russia. Most were shot down over Odesa Oblast, where the air raid alert lasted for over seven hours.
Debris from Russian drones used in the attacks on Ukraine has been found on the territory of Romania several times.
NATO does not believe that the attacks are deliberate. Romania has installed an anti-drone system on the border with Ukraine, and residents of border settlements receive notifications if there is a threat of debris falling.
