An F16 plane of the Romanian Air Forces, while on a mission, shot down an unidentified drone that had penetrated Romanian airspace. The announcement was made by President Nicusor Dan and later confirmed by the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest, reports IPN.

The Romanian authorities announced that the drone was detected by radar at 9:39, at a distance of 20 kilometers from the town of Sulina. Immediately, four fighter planes were lifted off the ground for monitoring and tracking the target. The engagement and downing of the drone took place around 11 o’clock, in Buzău county. According to the Ministry of Defense’s statement, the drone was shot down with a missile fired from an F16 plane, over an uninhabited area, to avoid causing casualties or material damage.

The Romanian authorities have temporarily closed the country’s airspace in the counties of Buzău, Brăila, Vrancea, Galați, and Tulcea. Locals were warned through the RO-ALERT service about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace, and the 112 Service received several calls from the affected area. Representatives of the responsible institutions are at the scene of the incident, an agricultural field between Padina and Pogoarele, announced the prefect of Buzau County, Leonard Dimian.