Romanian Pilot Downs Drone Violating Airspace

A drone that penetrated Romanian airspace was shot down by a Romanian F-16 pilot on Friday, President Nicușor Dan announced. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. in an unpopulated field near Buzău, a southeastern Romanian city. "We had a drone in the airspace. It was shot down a few minutes ago, around 11:00, by a Romanian pilot on an F-16," the president stated. He emphasized that the area was uninhabited, allowing the pilot to engage the target from above. Italian pilots had reportedly missed the drone, prompting the Romanian pilot's intervention. Following the event, the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations Buzău issued a RO-Alert message to residents across a wide area of southeastern Romania, including Buzău County. The message warned of potential falling objects from the airspace and advised citizens to take shelter in basements or civil protection shelters, or to remain indoors away from windows and exterior walls if no shelter was available. Teams from relevant institutions are currently investigating the incident to gather further details.

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We had a drone in the airspace. It was shot down a few minutes ago, around 11:00, by a Romanian pilot on an F-16. Important to emphasize that the area was unpopulated, which is why he could shoot from top to bottom. Now the teams from the institutions are investigating to provide all the details about the incident.