Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Spanish F-18 Downs Drone Entering Romanian Airspace Near Ukraine
On Sunday morning, a flying machine with no pilot inside — called a drone — flew into the airspace of Romania, a country in Europe.
Romania is part of NATO, a group of countries that help protect each other.
A Spanish fighter jet called the F-18, working on a NATO mission, saw the drone and shot it down.
The drone had entered Romania from Moldova, a neighbouring country, and no one could tell exactly where it came from, though some think it was Russian.
The broken pieces landed in an empty area between two villages, so nobody was hurt.
This was the fourth time this year that Romania brought down a drone.
Romania shares a very long border with Ukraine, where a big war is happening.
Because of that war, drones sometimes fly into nearby countries, and NATO countries work together to shoot down any that come too close.
A Spanish F-18 fighter jet on NATO air-policing duty shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace from Moldova on Sunday.
Romania's defence ministry detected the drone about 24 km (15 miles) north of Galati; the F-18 made radar contact and received permission to engage before shooting it down at 5:01 am local time (0201 GMT).
The ministry did not identify where the drone came from, though one report citing an unnamed source said it appears to be Russian and remains under investigation.
Debris fell in an uninhabited area between two villages in the Galati region, near Romania's border with Ukraine, and no casualties or damage were reported.
The shoot-down is Romania's fourth drone interception this year; in July, Romanian F-16 pilots shot down three Russian drones for the first time since Russia's 2022 invasion, and on Friday Italian jets downed a drone over Latvia.
The Romanian Defence Ministry's drones in Romania, Russia, NATO, Ukraine, Moldova, Galati, F-18 and F-16 conflicts with our event monitoring; all other details align.
- Who
- A Spanish F-18 fighter jet crew on NATO air-policing duty, with the Romanian defence ministry directing the mission.
- What
- Shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace from Moldova, marking Romania's fourth drone shoot-down this year.
- When
- Sunday, Aug 16 at 5:01 am local time (0201 GMT).
- Where
- Romanian airspace near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova, about 24 km north of Galati; debris fell in an uninhabited area of the Galati region.
- Why
- Romania has faced repeated Russian drone incursions along its 614-km border with Ukraine due to the spillover of Russia's war, and NATO air-policing jets are authorized to engage targets entering allied airspace.
Suspected Russian origin, unconfirmed
Origin disputed
Drone origin
Suspected Russian origin, unconfirmed
The drone is presumed to be Russian due to the pattern of repeated Russian drone incursions into Romanian airspace during Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Origin disputed
Romania's defence ministry did not specify the drone's origin, and one report says it is only 'suspected' to be Russian, with details still under investigation.
- Event
- Spanish F-18 shoots down drone in Romanian airspace
- Aircraft
- Spanish F-18 fighter jet on NATO air-policing duty
- Interception time
- 5:01 am local time (0201 GMT), Aug 16
- Drone entry
- From Moldova, about 24 km (15 miles) north of Galati
- Drone origin
- Not specified by the defence ministry; suspected to be Russian
- Debris location
- Uninhabited area between two villages in the Galati region
- Shoot-down tally
- Fourth drone brought down in Romania this year
- Previous shoot-downs
- Three Russian drones shot down by Romanian F-16 pilots in July
