NATO F-18 shoots down suspected Russian drone over Romania
A drone believed to be Russian was shot down by a Spanish F-18 fighter jet after entering Romanian airspace near the border with Moldova, according to Romanian and NATO officials.
The incident happened at 4:44 a.m. on Sunday when Romania’s surveillance systems detected an aerial target entering the country from Moldova, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) north of Galati. A Spanish F-18 which was carrying out an air policing mission established radar contact with the drone.
The fighter jet was given permission to engage the target and shot it down at 5:01 a.m., according to Romania’s Ministry of National Defence. A possible impact site was identified between the communities of Baleni and Cudalbi in Galati County, in an unpopulated area.
Aerial and ground searches were carried out in the area, where authorities found fragments from the drone and from the interceptor missile. The missile fragments were safely neutralized by an explosive ordnance disposal team, while drone debris was collected for forensic examination.
“Additional details regarding Sunday’s incident remain under investigation, but the drone appears to be Russian,” said U.S. Army Colonel Martin O’Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO’s military headquarters.
NATO said two Spanish F-18s were scrambled during the incident. The fighter jets are part of a Spanish deployment at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, where Spain has stationed seven F-18s and about 200 personnel.
Two Spanish
F-18 fighter jets, on enhanced Air Defence mission in Romania, were scrambled this morning and shot down a drone over Romanian airspace.
The F-18s are part of a larger contingent from the Spanish Air and Space Force. They arrived at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base… pic.twitter.com/YkWdDjGUXB
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) August 16, 2026
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
