Spanish NATO F-18 shoots down Russian drone in Romanian airspace near Galați
A Spanish F/A-18 Hornet jet, operating under a NATO air policing mission, intercepted and destroyed a Russian drone in Romanian airspace early Sunday morning. The drone entered from Moldova and was downed approximately 24 kilometers north of Galați. This incident marks the fourth such violation of NATO airspace this year. The Romanian Ministry of National Defense confirmed the drone was detected by surveillance systems at 04:44 local time during a massive Russian wave of strikes against Ukraine.
Date: August 16, 2026
Location: Galați, Romania
Conflict: Russia-Ukraine War
Category: border crossing
Severity: HIGH
Source: Politico / PBS News