Romanian jets shoot down two drones over Black Sea after week of attacks on ships
Romania's Defence Ministry said the drones were Geran-type attack drones. NATO allies are due to discuss Black Sea security on Tuesday.
Two Romanian Air Force F-16s shot down two drones over Romania’s territorial waters in the Black Sea on Saturday evening, 17 October, the country’s Defence Ministry said.
The ministry said radar picked up a group of aerial targets about 120km east of Snake Island heading south-west. The jets downed the first drone at 6.01pm local time (3:01pm Saturday GMT) south-east of the port of Sulina, two minutes after it entered Romanian airspace. The second was hit at 6.05pm east of Sulina, after five minutes in Romanian airspace. The ministry said both were jet-powered attack drones of the Geran family, the name Russia uses for its Shahed-type drones. The ministry did not say which country the drones came from.
“Two drones were engaged and shot down a few minutes ago by Romanian military pilots over the Black Sea, moments after they had illegally entered our country,” Defence Minister Radu Miruta wrote on Facebook. Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said NATO’s North Atlantic Council would discuss the issue on Tuesday, DW reported.
On Thursday, drones struck two chemical tankers near Sulina. Seven of the Wine Trader’s 12 crew are missing. A NATO military source told Reuters the drones were of Russian origin, while Romania said it was still establishing the facts. Moscow said two ships carrying military cargo to Odesa had been hit, the BBC reported.
Background
Romania, an EU and NATO member, shares a 614km border with Ukraine and has reported repeated drone incursions since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Defence Ministry figures show six drones shot down over Romania this year, including Saturday’s two. The Guardian counted six ships hit off Bulgaria and Romania in 10 days. Bulgaria summoned Russia’s envoy after one sinking, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance would adjust its “deterrence and defence posture as needed”.
Sources
- Press release No. 213, 17.10.2026 · Romanian Ministry of National Defence
- MApN: targets neutralised in national airspace were Geran-family attack drones (in Romanian) · Agerpres
- Romanian fighter jets shoot down 2 drones over Black Sea · DW
- Seven crew missing after drone attack leaves tanker ablaze off Romania's coast · BBC News
- Intensifying drone attacks on ships in Black Sea bring war ever closer to Nato shores · The Guardian
- Seven sailors missing after drones strike tankers near Romania's Black Sea coast · The Guardian
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