Romanian fighter jets shot down two attack drones over the country’s territorial waters on 17 October, the Defence Ministry said, following a series of incursions that has increased pressure on NATO’s Black Sea members to strengthen surveillance and air defence.

Two F-16 aircraft took off from the Borcea air base at 17:43 after radar systems detected aerial targets approximately 120 kilometres east of Snake Island, moving southwest. The first drone was destroyed at 18:01 southeast of Sulina, two minutes after entering Romanian airspace. The second was intercepted east of Sulina at 18:05.

The ministry identified both targets as jet-powered attack drones from the Geran family. Its updated statement placed the interceptions within Romanian national airspace above territorial waters. UPDATE

The incident followed repeated alerts along Romania’s frontier. According to the ministry, surveillance systems had detected aerial targets near the border on eight separate occasions during the preceding week. In four cases, unmanned aircraft briefly entered Romanian airspace.

Romanian authorities also reported attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, including within the country’s territorial waters. The ministry said it was continually adapting procedures for defending national airspace and maritime territory. UPDATE

The neighbouring Bulgarian government is preparing for additional allied support. Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told Bulgarian National Television on 18 October that aircraft from a NATO member were expected to deploy to Bulgaria. He did not identify the contributing country or announce a firm arrival date.

Stoyanov said land-based and airborne capabilities would be important for obtaining earlier warning of threats. He also announced preparations for a trilateral meeting with Romania and Türkiye to coordinate further action. The statement describes a planned reinforcement, rather than a deployment already completed. The Sofia Globe

Investigations into attacks on merchant shipping are continuing separately. Bulgaria’s damaged Chelsea-3 vessel has been towed to Burgas for examination, and military prosecutors have opened an investigation. Stoyanov said he was awaiting its findings on responsibility. That investigation should not be conflated with Romania’s identification of the drones intercepted on Saturday. The Sofia Globe

The Romanian operation demonstrates how quickly an air-policing mission can move from monitoring to interception: both drones were destroyed within minutes of entering national airspace. The wider challenge is sustained protection across an area where military activity, commercial shipping and several countries’ territorial boundaries intersect. Regional coordination will therefore matter alongside the capabilities of individual aircraft.