RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Russia says Romania's expulsion of a Russian envoy "will not go unanswered" after a run of drone incursions into the NATO country prompted Bucharest to summon Moscow's ambassador.
NATO jets shot down three drones that violated Romanian airspace on consecutive days from Friday to Sunday , with Romanian President Nicușor Dan calling the breaches "inadmissible and intolerable."
Bucharest's defense ministry then said on Monday another drone had briefly crossed into its airspace before heading back into Ukraine . Two F-16 aircraft were scrambled from one of the country's major airbases shortly before 9 a.m. local time.
Bucharest has frequently reported drone incursions from Ukraine when Russia bombards Ukrainian ports close to the Danube River, which splits eastern Romanian soil from Ukraine's southwestern edge. Romania shares roughly 400 miles of land border with Ukraine.
Drones intruding into NATO airspace have not been treated as attacks on the alliance so far, meaning they have not triggered discussions over a collective response from all 32 members.
But the persistent incidents—including at least 33 in Romania since February 2022—have pushed the alliance's members along Europe's eastern edge to invest in anti-drone defenses.
Bucharest said shortly after a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in the border town of Galați in May, injuring two people, that it would ask for NATO to "accelerate" plans to move military equipment to Romanian territory.
No casualties were reported in the string of drone incursions over the weekend, but Romanian authorities said drone debris had fallen in several locations and the wreckage of an interceptor missile had created a crater.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said on Monday that inspectors had determined the drone fragments were from Russian-made weapons.
Russia's ambassador to Romania, Vladimir Lipaev, was summoned to the Romanian foreign ministry to view the remains of the intercepted drones, and Bucharest ordered a member of Russia's delegation in Romania to leave the country within five days. Romania also said it was recalling its ambassador to Russia.
The Russian embassy in Bucharest said the actions were "not justified in any way" and would "not go unanswered."
The embassy denied Russia was targeting Romania with drones, and if Romanian forces attempted to "carry out cross-border operations," it would mean "Romania’s direct involvement in combat operations on Ukrainian territory."
There is no indication Romania has launched any operations over its border.
Newsweek has reached out to the Romanian foreign ministry for comment via email.
Moscow has increased its attacks on Ukraine's port infrastructure, including in the southern Odesa region and the port of Izmail, which sits directly across the border from Romania.
Russia's defense ministry said on Monday it had attacked fuel supply facilities in the city of Odesa and fuel tanks in Chornomorsk, a port southwest of Odesa.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said previously that Russian attacks spilling into NATO nations are a "stark reminder that Russia's aggressive actions extend beyond Ukraine."
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