On the morning of August 16, an unknown unmanned aerial vehicle entering Romanian airspace was shot down as part of a NATO air defense mission. According to the country's Ministry of Defense, the aerial target was destroyed by a Spanish Air Force F-18 fighter aircraft.
Romanian military personnel detected an aerial object entering the country's territory from Moldova at around 04:44. The unknown UAV was detected approximately 24 kilometers north of the city of Galați.
In connection with the airspace violation, a Spanish F-18 fighter jet on combat duty at the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase established radar contact with the target. After receiving appropriate authorization from the Romanian side, the pilot neutralized the aerial object at 05:01.
The debris of the destroyed unmanned aerial vehicle is believed to have fallen in an uninhabited area between the settlements of Băleni and Cudalbi in Galați County.
An investigation into the incident is currently underway. The defense ministry stated that the origin of the neutralized drone has not yet been officially confirmed.
