Representatives of the Romanian Ministry of Defense announced this at a press conference on Friday, July 24, according to the portal “Digi24”.
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According to preliminary data from the Romanian Ministry of Defense, the drone that entered the country’s airspace was of the “Shahed” (Geran-2) type, “which is usually used by the Russian army”.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense emphasized that it currently cannot “confirm that this device belongs to any state or that it was aimed at a specific target.” However, it assured that the drone does not pose a threat to cities or military bases.
In addition, Romanian officials noted that the drone appeared in Romanian airspace at a time when Russia was carrying out attacks against Ukraine’s Odesa region.
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Brigadier General Gheorghe Maxim stated that military aircraft accompanied the drone from the moment it appeared in Romanian airspace. Initially, an Italian aircraft attempted to shoot down the drone, but the missile it launched “for unclear reasons” missed its target. Later, the drone was shot down by a Romanian F-16 fighter jet.
On July 24, Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced that a Romanian “F-16” fighter jet shot down a drone that violated the country’s airspace in the morning. “This area was uninhabited, so the pilot could open fire without any risk,” N. Dan explained.
Also on July 24, Yuriy Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that the drone that entered Romania could have been deliberately directed at this NATO country by Russia.
