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Spanish F-18 Takes Down Drone That Breached NATO Airspace Over Romania
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A Spanish EF-18 Hornet operating under a NATO air-defense mission shot down an unidentified drone over southeastern Romania early on August 16 after the aircraft entered Romanian airspace from the direction of Moldova.
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According to Reuters on August 16, citing Romania’s Ministry of National Defence, Romanian surveillance systems detected the aerial target at 4:44 a.m. local time about 24 kilometers (15 miles) north of Galați, a city near the Moldovan border.
În noaptea de 15 spre 16 august, la ora 04.44, sistemele de supraveghere ale Ministerului Apărării Naționale au detectat pătrunderea unei ținte aeriene în spațiul aerian național, dinspre Republica Moldova, la aproximativ 24 km nord de Galați.
— MApN (@MApNRomania) August 16, 2026
O aeronavă F-18 a Forțelor Aeriene… pic.twitter.com/TD99i4QFwp
A Spanish EF-18 deployed to Romania established radar contact with the drone while conducting a NATO air patrol. Romanian authorities subsequently authorized the fighter to engage the target.
The drone was destroyed at approximately 5:01 a.m. over an uninhabited area, the Romanian Defense Ministry said. Officials identified a possible debris zone between the villages of Băleni and Cudalbi in Galați County.
No casualties or damage to infrastructure were initially reported.
Romanian authorities have not publicly identified the drone’s model or confirmed its country of origin. Reuters reported that the aircraft entered Romania from Moldovan airspace.
The interception marks the fourth drone shot down over Romanian territory since the beginning of 2026. Romanian F-16 fighters previously destroyed three Russian drones during separate incidents on July 24, 25, and 26 after they violated the country’s airspace.
Romania has repeatedly scrambled fighter aircraft in response to drones approaching or crossing its borders during Russian attacks against neighboring Ukraine. On August 14, Romanian authorities issued three air alerts as Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s Odesa region, with another drone reported entering Romanian airspace.
The Spanish fighter involved in the August 16 interception is part of Madrid’s current deployment to Romania. Spain transferred seven EF-18M Hornets to the country in late July as part of NATO’s strengthened air-defense posture on its eastern flank.
The contingent also includes three NH90 helicopters assigned to counter-drone missions and an A400M aircraft capable of aerial refueling. The deployment is expected to continue through December 2026.
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