Romanian F-16s shoot down two Geran drones over Black Sea waters
Romanian F-16s shot down two jet-powered Geran-family drones over Romanian territorial waters on 17 October, the Defence Ministry said. The first was downed near Sulina two minutes after entering Romanian airspace; the second was shot down four minutes after it crossed in, according to the ministry’s timeline.
Bottom line — Romania says a NATO Council meeting on Black Sea defence and deterrence is scheduled for 20 October.
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The Defence Ministry said radar detected the targets about 120 km east of Snake Island, moving south-west.
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Two F-16s scrambled from Borcea air base at 17:43, the ministry said.
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Acting Defence Minister Radu Miruta placed the first shootdown 25 km south-east of Sulina and the second 20 km east.
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The Kyiv Independent reported that Romania’s radar detected targets near its border on eight occasions in the previous week, with drones entering Romanian airspace in four cases.
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Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said the Black Sea’s role in grain, energy and industrial exports made its stability important, and said NATO would discuss regional defence and deterrence.