A Romanian F-16 fighter jet downed a Russian “Geran-2” drone over Romanian airspace on July 24 — the first such successful interception in the country’s history.
The incident occurred around 11:00 AM local time, approximately one hour after a massive Russian missile and drone strike targeted Ukraine’s Odesa region, including the city of Izmail located near the Romanian border.
Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets and two Italian Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft were scrambled to intercept the drone. Romanian Air Force Chief of Staff Gheorghita Vlad confirmed that pilots visually identified the drone as resembling an Iranian-made “Shahed” or its Russian counterpart, the “Geran-2”.
The drone was shot down by a Romanian pilot, who has been recommended for a military decoration. An Italian pilot also opened fire but missed the target. This marks the first time in history that Romanian Air Force has successfully shot down a drone over its own territory. Notably, a Romanian F-16 previously shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia.
The drone crashed in an uninhabited area near the village of Padina in Buzău County, approximately 70 miles from Bucharest, causing no damage or casualties. Ground teams are currently conducting a search operation for a missile fired by the Italian aircraft.
