Romania and Moldova have repeatedly seen violations of their airspaces, including drone fragments falling onto their soil, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In the latest incident, two German fighter jets serving in NATO member Romania were monitoring the air situation just after midnight at the border with Ukraine, following Russian air strikes, the Romanian defence ministry said in a press release.
A phone alert was sent out to residents of southeastern Tulcea county, and "for a few minutes, the signal of a drone was detected, which had entered approximately eight kilometres (five miles) into national airspace" before it disappeared from the radar.
The drone then "reappeared intermittently on radar for approximately 12 minutes," the ministry said, with an alert also being sent to residents in southeastern Galati county.
"Two more aircraft, F-16s of the Romanian Air Force, were scrambled," the ministry added, saying that "no cases of aircraft impact with the ground have been reported".
"Teams of specialists are ready to begin ground searches," it added.
Moldova also reported its airspace was breached by a drone during the night.
"After an exchange of information with partners in Ukraine and Romania, it has been confirmed that a drone flew over the national airspace," the country's defence ministry said in a press release.
It added that the aircraft was flying at a low altitude of approximately 100 metres in the south and was not detected on monitoring systems.
On Monday, Romania ordered the evacuation of two villages -- the first such evacuation in the country as a result of the war in Ukraine -- after a Russian drone attack across the Danube river in neighbouring Ukraine set fire to a ship carrying liquefied petroleum gas.
The evacuation order was lifted on Tuesday.
German military to take greater domestic role in countering drones
Berlin (AFP) Nov 19, 2025 -
The German government on Wednesday backed legislation that would allow the military to respond to unauthorised drones in domestic airspace, including by shooting them down.
Recent drone incidents in Germany and elsewhere in Europe in recent months have been blamed on Russia, and governments are scrambling to bolster their defences.
The new German law enables the armed forces to "combat, intercept and even shoot down" drones, said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
Germany recently moved to expand police powers to counter drone threats. But Germany's constitution puts strict limits on military operations during peacetime within the country's borders.
Russia in believed to be behind many of the incursions, some of which have shut down traffic at major airports or flown over sensitive sites such as power plants, ports and military bases.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in October that drone incursions are part of an effort by Russian President Vladimir Putin to "intimidate us and frighten us".
The reforms to Germany's Air Security Act backed by the cabinet on Wednesday are meant to allow the police and other local authorities to quickly summon military assistance to deal with imminent threats.
"We are significantly increasing our capabilities to be able to deal with the increased sightings," Dobrindt said.
"We want to be as well-equipped as possible."
A planned joint national drone defence centre will help coordinate responses between agencies, an interior ministry spokesman told reporters.
He added that Dobrindt would consult with the interior ministers from Germany's 16 federal states in December to decide on decision-making processes and other details.
Some critics, however, contend that the proposed changes to the law violate constitutional limits on the military.
Dobrindt dismissed that assessment, arguing that German law allows civilian authorities to request "administrative assistance" when threats are beyond the capabilities of the police.
Related Links
UAV News - Suppliers and Technology
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
