President Nicusor Dan on Monday said that the drone which recently entered Romanian airspace was Russian, and that legislation allows for it to be shot down.

‘We know it’s Russian, we know exactly the time frame and the route it took over Romanian territory,’ the head of state said on Antena 3 private television.

When asked whether the drone should have been shot down, he replied: ‘According to the law passed by Parliament this spring, there is a legal framework that allows for it to be shot down, and there is no need for approval from the president, the minister, or the chief of the General Staff – the decision lies with the commander in charge of guarding that particular area.’

‘It is always a case-by-case decision, because when you shoot at it, you risk causing collateral damage. That’s all I can say for now,’ the president added.

On Saturday evening, residents of communities in the immediate vicinity of the northern part of Tulcea County – including the city of Tulcea itself, an area bordering Ukraine – received two extreme alert messages and were urged to take shelter in safe places, as a Russian drone was detected in Romanian airspace.

‘The drone loitered for approximately 50 minutes, from north-east of Chilia Veche, Romania, to south-west of Izmail (Odessa region, Ukraine – ed. note) and exited national airspace near the locality of Pardina, heading back towards Ukraine,’ the MApN said in a press release.

In response, F-16 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, operated by Romanian and German pilots, monitored the area until 9:30 p.m. and were authorised to engage the target, the source said.

‘The F-16 aircraft maintained intermittent contact with the target, both visually and via radar, tracking it throughout its course. The pilots were authorised to shoot it down but, during the moments of direct contact, assessed the potential collateral risks and chose not to open fire,’ MApN spokesperson, Colonel Corneliu Pavel said.

AGERPRES