Locals describe panic as F-16 downs drone over Romania's Buzău County

Confusion, panic, and unanswered questions marked the morning for residents in several Buzău County villages after a RO-Alert warning, the sound of fighter jets, and an explosion from a downed drone. This incident occurred nearly two months after NATO's chief vowed to defend "every inch of allied territory" following a drone strike in Galați.

On Friday morning, July 24, a drone entered Romanian airspace, unlike a previous incident where one crashed. This drone traversed approximately 230 kilometers over Romania for nearly 1.5 hours, following a path from Sulina to Brăila, Fetești, and finally Buzău. A Romanian F-16 pilot intercepted and destroyed it in an unpopulated zone between Padina and Pogoanele, about 100 kilometers from Bucharest.

For residents in southern Buzău County, the war felt closer than ever. The RO-Alert message vibrated on phones simultaneously, followed by the roar of fighter jets and a powerful explosion. The 112 emergency dispatch received about 15 calls immediately after the alert. The sound of the F-16's missile launch echoed for kilometers, prompting many to look to the sky in fear, while others retreated indoors.

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I heard a loud noise from the planes. They were roaring terribly, we heard a loud bang, and I quickly went inside. I was with these small children… Of course, you get scared! When I heard it was about a downed drone, fear gripped me. What else would you feel? Fear!

Some locals near the crash site, which authorities had cordened off, struggled to comprehend the event. One woman described the terrifying experience: "I heard a loud noise from the planes. They were roaring terribly, we heard a loud bang, and I quickly went inside. I was with these small children… Of course, you get scared! When I heard it was about a downed drone, fear gripped me. What else would you feel? Fear!" For many, the idea of a military drone reaching the Buzău plain seemed so improbable that they initially sought simpler explanations like thunder, a strange sky phenomenon, or even a meteor.

"We were on our way to Slobozia when we received the RO-Alert warning, but we were truly scared when we got home and didn't know what was going on. The children called us panicked, and I told them to stay calm, maybe it was a meteor… I really didn't expect something like this, to happen right here in Buzău!" recounted another woman from Rușețu. Despite the successful interception, a lingering sense of unease remains. "The fact that it was identified and shot down is a good thing, it gives you a little confidence. But you're still afraid. In the future, probably every time we hear a plane..." she trailed off, expressing a common sentiment of anxiety.

“

We were on our way to Slobozia when we received the RO-Alert warning, but we were truly scared when we got home and didn't know what was going on. The children called us panicked, and I told them to stay calm, maybe it was a meteor… I really didn't expect something like this, to happen right here in Buzău!