Romania Downs Russian Drone for Third Time in Three Days
Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced that a Romanian Air Force F-16 shot down a drone that violated Romanian territorial waters in the Sulina-Chilia area of the Danube Delta, near the Ukrainian border, at 10:13 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026. It was the third drone shot down in three days.
Dan said the drone downed on Friday was of Russian origin and that Romania was preparing a formal protest note to Russia. Investigations into the July 25 and 26 incidents continue.
The incident marks the first time a NATO ally has downed a drone with a fighter jet following an airspace violation on the alliance’s eastern flank. The Danube Delta region frequently sees Russian strikes on Ukraine’s Odesa region spill over the NATO border.
Sources: Euronews (Jul 26, 2026), Newsweek (Jul 26, 2026).
