Suspected Russian Drone Shot Down in Romania as Kyiv and Moscow Exchange Strikes Romania’s defense ministry confirmed on Sunday that an F-18 fighter jet, part of a Spanish NATO contingent deployed in the country, shot down a drone that illegally entered Romanian airspace. The incident marks the fourth such event this year, with the drone detected by radar as it crossed from neighboring Moldova into Romania. The aircraft was identified as a potential Russian asset, though the ministry did not specify its origin, noting it was tracked as it approached from the north of the southeastern city of Galati. The F-18 made radar contact with the target, received clearance to engage, and safely destroyed the drone at 5:01 a.m. Fragments from the wreckage fell in an uninhabited area between two villages. NATO’s military headquarters, represented by U.S. Army Col. Martin O’Donnell, emphasized the alliance’s readiness to defend against threats. “Additional details regarding Sunday’s incident remain under investigation,” he stated, adding that Romania’s airspace has faced repeated breaches by Russian drones over the past four years. The country shares a 381-mile land border with Ukraine and has reported ongoing incursions into its airspace, alongside incidents involving mines in the Black Sea, which threaten key trade and energy routes. Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes targeted the Moscow region overnight, with the provincial governor, Andrei Vorobyov, reporting one fatality and multiple injuries. The attack, described as one of the largest to date, struck a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, in Podolsk. The governor confirmed an 83-year-old man was killed, while several others were injured. Additional damage occurred at a logistics facility in Domodedovo, near Moscow’s main airport.#romania #kyiv #wildberries #f18 #martin_odonnell
