Spanish F-18 Downs Unidentified Drone in Romanian Airspace

A Spanish F-18 fighter jet patrolling Romanian airspace shot down an unidentified drone that entered from Moldova early Sunday morning, Aug. 16, Romania’s Defense Ministry reported. Radar systems detected the target at approximately 4:44 a.m. local time, about 24 kilometers north of the city of Galați. The Spanish F-18, operating from the 57th Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base on a combat patrol mission, established radar contact and received clearance to engage the target.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The fighter downed the drone at 5:01 a.m. over an unpopulated area between the villages of Băleni and Cudalbi in Galați County. The local air raid alert was subsequently lifted at 5:20 a.m. Acting Defense Minister Radu Miruță praised the Spanish pilots and Romanian military personnel following the incident. “Romania defends its airspace, and our allies stand with us,” Miruță stated on Facebook. “Vigilance, rapid reaction, and allied solidarity are the concrete guarantees of our security.” This marks the fourth instance of an intruding drone being shot down over Romania. Recent drone incidents in Romania The interception follows the discovery of drone fragments in four separate locations within a 24-hour period on Friday, Aug. 14. The Defense Ministry reported finding wreckage near the Ukrainian border in the villages of Plauru and Luncavița in Tulcea County. Additional fragments were located on the beaches of the Saturn and Costinești resorts on the Black Sea coast. Other Topics of Interest Russia Unveils Jet-Powered BM-35 Drone With 217 Mph Speed Russian propagandists showcased a jet-powered BM-35 attack drone, claiming speeds over 350 km/h (217 mph) and resistance to Ukrainian electronic warfare. Earlier in the week, on Aug. 11, Romanian military divers conducted controlled explosions to destroy two drifting Russian-produced Gerbera drones in the Black Sea. The objects were located approximately 167 kilometers (104 miles) east of Constanța, near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project, prompting their destruction due to the hazard posed to maritime traffic and energy operations. Romanian authorities report that drones have violated the country’s airspace more than 30 times since strikes on Ukrainian Danube River ports began. In late July, Romanian F-16 fighter jets intercepted and shot down incoming targets on three separate occasions. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.