Romanian Air Force F-16s Shoot Down Two Geran Drones Over Territorial Waters Near Sulina

ROMANIA — On October 17, two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft on air policing missions scrambled from the 86th Air Base Borcea at 5:43 PM local time (2:43 PM UTC) after radar systems detected a group of aerial targets approximately 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Snake Island, heading southwest, the Romanian Ministry of Defense stated.

The first target entered Romanian airspace at 5:59 PM local time and was shot down at 6:01 PM local time by one of the F-16 aircraft.

A second target entered at 6:01 PM local time and was shot down at 6:05 PM local time by the other F-16 aircraft. Both targets were identified as drones and were shot down over Romanian territorial waters, the ministry said.

In a later update, the ministry stated that the neutralized targets were attack drones from the Geran family with jet propulsion. The first was shot down southeast of Sulina after two minutes in national airspace, and the second east of Sulina after five minutes in national airspace.

Romanian F-16s Destroy Two Drones Near Sulina

• Two Romanian Air Force F-16s scrambled from the 86th Air Base Borcea at 5:43 PM local time on October 17 after radar detected targets 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Snake Island, the Ministry of Defense stated.

• First drone entered Romanian airspace at 5:59 PM local time and was shot down at 6:01 PM local time, the ministry said.

• Second drone entered at 6:01 PM local time and was shot down at 6:05 PM local time, the ministry said.

• Ministry update identified both as Geran-family attack drones with jet propulsion, shot down southeast and east of Sulina over territorial waters.

• Acting Defense Minister Radu Miruta gave distances of 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) southeast and 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) east of Sulina for the two shootdowns.

Official Statements

• Romanian Ministry of Defense, October 17: “Two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft, conducting Air Policing missions, were scrambled from the 86th Air Base Borcea at 17:43, after radar surveillance systems detected a group of aerial targets flying approximately 120 kilometers east of Snake Island, heading southwest. At 17:59, the first target entered Romanian airspace and was shot down by one of the F-16 aircraft at 18:01. A second target entered Romanian airspace at 18:01 and was shot down by the other F-16 aircraft at 18:05. Both aerial targets were identified as drones and were shot down over Romanian territorial waters.”

• Romanian Ministry of Defense update, October 17: “The neutralized targets were attack drones from the Geran family, with jet propulsion. The first was shot down at 18:01, southeast of Sulina, after evolving for two minutes in the national airspace, and the second at 18:05, east of Sulina, after an evolution of five minutes in the national airspace.”

• Acting Defense Minister Radu Miruta, October 17: “The first drone entered national airspace at 17:59 and was shot down within 2 minutes at 25 km SE of Sulina. The second drone, in the same area, was engaged and shot down at 18:05, 5 minutes after entering national airspace, at 20 km E of Sulina.”

• Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, October 17: “The Black Sea will be safe again. Two F-16 from the Romanian Air Force shot down two aerial drones that entered our airspace without authorization over the Black Sea. [...] At Romania’s initiative, we will have a dedicated meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Tuesday to discuss Black Sea defense and deterrence.”