Romanian Jet Shoots Down Drone in Airspace for Third Straight Day

A Romanian Air Force jet shot down a drone over national territory on Sunday after it crossed into the country's airspace from the direction of the Ukrainian border, the defence minister said in a statement. It was the third consecutive day that Romania has intercepted an unmanned aircraft entering its territory, officials said, underscoring the persistent spillover risk from the war raging next door.

A government investigation into the incidents reportedly determined that the first of the three drones was a Shahed-type model, an unmanned aircraft Russia has used extensively to strike targets in Ukraine. Authorities have not said whether the same model was involved in Sunday's incident or Saturday's, and have not commented on where the drones may have originated or their intended targets.

Romania, a NATO member state that shares a border with Ukraine, has reported a rising number of airspace incursions in recent months as the conflict continues. NATO allies bordering Ukraine have stepped up air patrols and radar monitoring in response, and officials said further details of the investigation would be released as they become available.