Romania shot down a fourth drone in three days on Sunday, July 26, 2026, prompting the government to summon Russia’s ambassador and declare the repeated airspace violations inadmissible. The Romanian Air Force intercepted the aerial threat over the Black Sea under NATO command, escalating diplomatic tensions between Bucharest and Moscow.

Romanian Air Force F-16 jets shot down the drone over the Black Sea in the Sulina–Chilia area at 10:13 a.m. Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets scrambled from the Fetești airbase under NATO operational command to intercept the object. Defense Minister Radu Miruță stated that the drone entered Romania's airspace five minutes before being intercepted by an F-16 fighter jet. President Nicusor Dan stated that the drone shot down on Sunday was intercepted over the territorial waters of Romania in the Sulina–Chilia area.

The Sulina–Chilia area is a critical part of the Danube Delta, a region with a long history of border disputes and strategic importance for both Romania and Ukraine. Sulina is a town in Tulcea County, Romania. The Romanian Air Force is the air warfare branch of Romania's military and has a long history of operating F-16 fighter jets, with the first F-16s delivered in 1997 as part of a modernization effort following the fall of the Soviet Union.

This incident followed two similar events earlier in the weekend. On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Romanian forces shot down a drone at 8:30 a.m. 10 kilometers west of Sfantu Gheorghe in the Danube Delta. Radars detected the airspace breach on Saturday at 8:22 a.m. prompting the scrambling of two F-16 fighter jets. On Friday, July 24, 2026, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone near the town of Padina in Buzau County.

Two Romanian F-16 jets and two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons based in Romania were scrambled in response to the Friday incursion. The drone on Friday was first detected by radars at 9:30 a.m. around 20 kilometers east of Sulina on the Black Sea coast. Fragments of the drone shot down on Friday fell on a wheat field but caused no damage or injuries. President Dan stated that the area where the Friday drone was shot down was uninhabited, allowing the pilot to engage without risk.

Authorities determined that the drone shot down on Friday was a "Shahed type" used by the Russian Federation. An army source stated that Russia is the attacker in the region, though an investigation into the Friday drone's origin was ongoing. NATO Air Command confirmed that allied fighters under NATO command and control shot down a drone in Romanian airspace on Friday.

Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador following the drone incursions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu stated that Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador due to repeated violations of its airspace. President Dan described the continued violation of Romanian airspace by the Russian Federation as "inadmissible and intolerable."

NATO spokesperson Colonel Martin O’Donnell identified the Sunday incident as the fourth recent downing of a drone violating NATO airspace in coordination with the alliance. NATO is constantly on watch and prepared to defend itself from any threat, O’Donnell stated. In 2021, Romania and NATO conducted joint drills in the Black Sea region to enhance air defense coordination, which included simulated responses to drone threats.

Belgium Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot stated that Belgium stands firmly with Romania after several drones were shot down over its territory in recent days. Approximately 300 Belgian troops are based in Romania as part of NATO’s eastern flank force.

The frequency of these incursions marks a sharp escalation in aerial violations. Prior to the 2026 incidents, Romania recorded 28 airspace violations by Russian drones in 2025, indicating a growing trend of aerial incursions into Romanian territory. Romania shares a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine and has reported approximately 30 breaches of its airspace by Russian drones since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

Previous incidents have resulted in physical damage and injuries. In May 2026, a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Galati, Romania, injuring two people. In 2022, a Russian drone struck a military base in Romania's Constanta County, marking one of the first direct attacks on Romanian soil by Russian drones since the war in Ukraine began. In June 2026, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded at the port of Constanta in Romania.

Romania has taken legislative and technological steps to address these threats. Romania's parliament adopted a law in 2025 allowing drones that breach its airspace to be shot down. The government approved a $1.2 billion contract in 2024 to procure the Merops counter-drone system, which is used to detect and neutralize aerial threats in real-time.

Romania integrated the US-made Merops counter-drone system into its defenses at the end of June 2026. Romania has acquired the MEROPS counter-drone system, which fires small drones to intercept incoming threats.