Russia Claims Ukrainian Drone Incursion in Romania Is a Calculated Provocation

Russia’s embassy in Romania stated on Sunday that a drone incursion into the Eastern European nation the previous day was a «provocation» orchestrated by Ukraine.

Romania’s Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that two fighter jets had intercepted a drone in Romanian airspace during ongoing Russian assaults on Ukraine.

The defense ministry clarified that the drone did not traverse populated areas and posed no threat to civilians.

On Sunday, Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipayev to address the incident.

The Russian embassy in Romania refuted claims that one of its drones had breached Romanian airspace, labeling it instead as a «deliberate provocation from the Kyiv regime.»

The embassy further criticized Bucharest authorities for not providing a «specific and convincing response» to Moscow’s inquiries regarding the airspace violation.

Since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Romania has reported multiple instances of drones being shot down within its borders.

The incident on Saturday followed closely after Poland reported downing several Russian drones that had entered its airspace during a significant air assault against Ukraine.

Both Romania and Poland are members of NATO.

Reporting by AFP contributed to this information.