NATO allies Poland and Romania scrambled fighter jets over the weekend in response to a new barrage of Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, amid mounting concerns over repeated incursions of Russian munitions into allied airspace.
The Polish military confirmed that while no airspace violations were recorded, fighter jets were launched to patrol the skies along the Ukrainian border.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X that defenses had reached their “highest state of readiness” due to “the threat posed by Russian drones operating near Poland’s frontier.”
But farther south, Romania confirmed that a Russian drone penetrated its airspace during overnight strikes on Ukrainian targets along the Danube River—a key transit route for Ukrainian exports.
The Romanian Defense Ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were deployed to track the drone, which entered airspace near Chilia Veche, roughly 20 kilometers inside Romanian territory, before vanishing from radar.
“The drone did not fly over populated areas and did not pose an imminent danger to the safety of the population,” the ministry said, adding that preliminary reports suggested it re-entered Ukraine. Search teams were dispatched to check for debris.
NATO Reinforcement Moves
Poland’s National Security Bureau announced Sunday that President Karol Nawrocki had signed a resolution authorizing NATO forces to reinforce Polish territory as part of the alliance’s “Eastern Sentry” operation. The bureau noted the resolution is classified.
The incident marked the 11th violation of Romanian airspace since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Romania’s Defense Ministry told ABC News that around 50 Russian drone strikes have targeted areas near its border, with 30 resulting in debris falling on Romanian soil.
On at least 10 occasions, drones briefly penetrated Romanian airspace.
Romanian Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu condemned Saturday’s breach, posting on X:
“We condemn Russia’s reckless behavior, which threatens regional stability. Together with our NATO allies, we remain vigilant and ready to defend every inch of allied airspace.”
Escalating Drone Threats
Romania has not yet shot down any Russian drones, though NATO’s first interceptions occurred last week when Polish and Dutch jets destroyed three Russian drones over Poland. Warsaw reported that at least 19 drones entered its airspace during that incident.
A Romanian defense spokesperson told ABC News that the country has adopted a “completely new legislative approach” since 2022, allowing for both non-kinetic methods (such as hijacking drones electronically) and kinetic measures (direct destruction).
“The aircraft that cannot be neutralized by non-kinetic measures may be destroyed if they pose a real danger to national security, lives, or property,” the spokesperson said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately testing NATO’s defenses, claiming the drone that entered Romania flew nearly six miles into NATO territory and operated there for about 50 minutes.
“The Russian military knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “This cannot be a coincidence or mistake—it is an obvious expansion of the war. Small steps at first, and eventually big losses.”
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 58 drones and one missile overnight into Sunday, targeting infrastructure across the country.
Air defenses intercepted 52 drones, while the missile and six drones struck three locations, leaving falling debris in two.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its own forces had downed at least 103 Ukrainian drones overnight.
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