How Romania Fights Russian Drones Without a Government, and With a Busted Budget
While the eyes of European security experts and the public are on Poland and the Baltics, which face increased threats, another part of Nato’s eastern border is under constant pressure. It must defend itself, even without a proper government and with public finances in shambles.
“They are not alone. We are there to protect them, day and night, seven days a week, all year round. When they are on vacation, when they are at work, we are up there. Maybe you can’t see us, but we will protect you,” said the Romanian F-16 pilot who shot down two Russian drones within 24 hours over the weekend. The interview was published by the Romanian ministry of national defence, without revealing the pilot’s identity.
Since last Friday, over the course of the weekend, three Russian drones entered Romanian airspace, one each day. Romanian F-16 pilots didn’t take any chances with them and shot every one of them down.
The weekend drone hunt was not the Romanian pilots’ first rodeo. A Romanian fighter jet had already shot down a drone previously, during an air-policing mission in the Baltics.
Still, the elimination of a Russian UAV on home turf was a success that the Romanian ministry of defence and the military needed.
