As reported by hromadske.
Romania has expressed its position regarding the possibility of shooting down drones over Ukraine: the country is not ready to take such a step, as it could lead to an open conflict. This position was voiced by President Nicușor Dan.
According to Dan, his team conducted preliminary discussions with representatives of the state administration, advisers, military personnel, and foreign-policy experts about the possible consequences of such a decision and the risks for the region.
There are international norms regarding what it means to be in a conflict or not. And on this issue, according to some majority interpretations, doing this in a certain way would amount to entering into a conflict
At this moment Dan’s answer is most likely a refusal, but Romania does not rule out revisiting its decision depending on how events develop in the future.
In the context of the events, the Allies’ position is also relevant. After the invasion of Russian drones into Ukraine’s airspace, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski proposed considering intercepting Russian drones and missiles specifically in Ukraine’s airspace.
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that allowing NATO to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine would mean a war between the Alliance and Moscow.
Allowing NATO to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine would mean a war between the Alliance and Moscow
On the evening of September 13, residents of several counties in eastern Poland and Romania received warnings of an air threat from drones. Both countries scrambled aircraft; in Romania, reports said that F-16 fighters detected the drone in their airspace and traced its route to about 20 kilometers southwest of the village Kilia-Veke, after which the UAV disappeared from radar.
The Romanian Defense Minister said the aircraft came extremely close to shooting down the drone, but it changed course and flew toward Ukraine. He also added that, thanks to a spring-time law, Romanian pilots have the right to shoot down drones entering Romanian airspace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the violation of NATO allies’ airspace, noting that Russian forces clearly understand where their drones are headed and how long they can stay in the air.
Impact on regional security
Such incidents underscore the need to strengthen coordination among NATO member countries and partners in monitoring airspace and promptly responding to threats approaching borders.
Read also:
- Western leaders support the Sky Shield initiative to intercept Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine, enhancing European security and regional stability.
- US officers arrived in Belarus to observe the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises “Zapad-2025,” highlighting international interest and regional security concerns during September 12-16.
- Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced Ilie Bolojan as the candidate for prime minister to form a new government after the 2025 presidential elections.
