Romanian PM reposnds to the latest Russian UAV crash on Romanian territory

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stated that the country’s air forces had tracked the course of the drone that eventually crashed on the Romanian bank of the Danube River and has emphasised that it posed no threat to Romanian citizens.

As reported by Digi24, a Romanian media outlet, during a briefing, Ciolacu was asked whether the Romanian authorities are taking additional measures following the incident near the village of Plauru, on the Romanian bank of the Danube River opposite Izmail, where debris from a Russian UAV, used in attacks on Ukrainian Danube ports, was discovered.

The Prime Minister stated that there were no "security issues" for Romanian citizens during the incident.

"The trajectory of this UAV was known around 01:55; F-16 fighters were scrambled. There were no problems–it was tracked well before it entered Romanian territory. I saw the Ministry of Defence provide explanations in its statement... It’s very likely that after an examination, it will be determined that the UAV was shot down by Ukrainian air defences," he said. 

On the night of 17 January, residents of Romanian villages along the Danube River received air-raid warnings due to Russian UAV attacks on Ukrainian ports.

In the morning, Romania's Ministry of Defence reported that fighter jets had been deployed and confirmed the discovery of a potential UAV crash site opposite Ukraine's Izmail.

This incident is the latest in a series of similar events during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

Since 29 September, NATO has enhanced its airspace surveillance over Romania, deploying an additional Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

Russian UAVs have repeatedly crashed in Moldova. In early September, a Russian Shahed drone entered Latvian territory via Belarus and crashed there.