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By Maciej Martewicz
September 15, 2025 — 5.59am
Romania says a Russian drone has breached its airspace, the second NATO country to report such a violation following last week’s incursion into Poland by about 20 Russian drones, some of which were shot down by NATO warplanes.
Fighter jets scrambled to monitor a Russian attack in Ukraine on Sunday AEST and were able to track the drone as it entered Romanian airspace near Ukraine’s southern border, Romania’s defence ministry said in a statement.
Romanian fighters tracked the Russian drone as it crossed into Romanian airspace.Credit: AP
Pilots were given permission to shoot down the Geran-type drone as it entered Romania from north-east of Chilia Veche in the country’s east, but decided not to open fire after assessing collateral risks, the ministry said.
The drone eventually left Romanian skies and headed back into Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised NATO for not destroying the drone, describing it as a provocation that should have been immediately dealt with.
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“Do not wait for dozens of Shaheds [Iranian drones] and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions,” Zelensky said on X.
Zelensky said radar data showed the drone penetrated about 10 kilometres into Romanian territory and operated in NATO airspace for about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, Poland deployed air force jets for the second time in a week, alerted residents and closed Lublin Airport near the Ukrainian border because of drones flying in its neighbour’s airspace, its Operational Command said in a post on X.
Polish air defence systems were placed on the highest alert “amid the threat of Russian drones” over Ukraine, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a separate post, adding that the action was “preventive”.
Residents of six Polish districts near the Ukrainian border received emergency SMS alerts warning of a threat from the air. Ukrainian air defence said earlier on Sunday AEST that two Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had been flying in the west of the country.
Polish firefighters inspect a house that was damaged by numerous Russian drone strikes in Wyryki.Credit: AP
At the weekend, Zelensky posted on X saying he didn’t think the drone flights were accidental, and renewed his call for the country’s allies to impose additional sanctions on Russia.
Poland has become highly attuned to its air security after an unprecedented incursion of about 20 Russian drones last week. Polish and allied forces shot down at least three UAVs for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The country is set to receive additional air defence support from its NATO allies as a result of the events.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that it will take a few days to determine whether the drones were intentionally sent into Poland.
“The question is whether the drones were targeted to go into Poland specifically,” he told reporters as he departed for a trip to Israel. “If that’s the case, that the evidence leads us there, then obviously that’ll be a highly escalatory move.”
Bloomberg
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