Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two drones flying in Romanian national airspace, the Romanian Defense Ministry announced on October 17.
Both drones were jet-powered and belonged to the Geran family of attack drones frequently used by Russia to attack targets in Ukraine, according to the Romanian Defense Ministry. The ministry did not specify which nation the drones belonged to.
Initially, the Romanian radar system detected a group of aerial targets flying about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Snake Island in the Black Sea. Romania then took off two F-16 fighter jets from its Borcea air base at 5:43 p.m. local time.
Two drones were shot down between 6:01 p.m. and 6:05 p.m. local time over Romanian national waters. The drones spent a total of five minutes maneuvering in the country’s airspace.
The Geran drones are among the latest drones deployed by Russian forces in attacks against Ukraine. They are particularly difficult to engage, flying significantly higher and faster than any of Russia’s older drone models, with a top speed of 600 km/h (370 mph).
Faced with the shortage of air-to-air missiles in Ukraine, F-16 aircraft are increasingly used to shoot down Geran drones. Ukrainian warplanes are responsible for destroying about 55 to 60 percent of all jet drones launched by Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on October 17.
In recent months, Russian drones have repeatedly flown over Romanian airspace, increasing tensions between Moscow and the NATO member state.
On October 15, seven sailors were reported missing aboard one of two tankers that caught fire in Romania’s Black Sea following drone incursions into the country’s airspace.
Ten days earlier, a cargo ship caught fire in the Black Sea off the Romanian coast after a Russian drone strike, killing two people, injuring at least 11 others and triggering a massive search and rescue operation.
On September 24, suspected Russian drones crashed overnight in Romania and Moldova, amid a massive and sustained drone and missile attack on Ukraine.
Gn world
