Romania Proposes Law to Allow Downing of Drones Violating Its Airspace

The Romanian Ministry of Defense has drafted a law that permits the downing of drones violating the country’s airspace, according to Reuters citing Romanian Defense Ministry.

The draft law, which has recently been opened for public discussion, sets specific conditions for Romania concerning the management of its airspace by both manned and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Debris from strike drones used by Russia to attack Ukrainian ports has been found multiple times along the Romanian bank of the Danube.

“The military operations in the Black Sea and the marked increase in the use of UAVs—both military and those repurposed for military use—continue to create serious risks at the border with Ukraine and near Romania,” the document states.

The Romanian defense ministry indicated that the EU is working towards a unified approach to drone management and risk mitigation. The proposed measures are incremental: starting from locating and identifying the aircraft to attempts at contact, interception, and warning shots. Drones may be destroyed, neutralized, or controlled based on the threat level, with destruction being a last resort.

The proposed law also allows allied systems stationed in Romania to engage in actions in line with collective defense agreements with NATO and EU members.

Since September 29, NATO has initiated enhanced surveillance of Romania's airspace by deploying an additional long-range radar surveillance aircraft (AWACS).