Romania has scrambled fighter jets after a drone breached the country\u2019s airspace during a Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, its Ministry of National Defence said, as Kyiv accused Moscow of expanding its war.<\/p>\n
The Romanian move on Saturday came as\u00a0Poland also deployed aircraft and closed an airport in the eastern city of Lublin over the threat of a drone attack.<\/p>\n
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Ukraine\u2019s European Union neighbours have been on guard since Poland shot down<\/a> Russian drones in its airspace earlier this week, with the backing of aircraft from its NATO allies.<\/p>\n Romania\u2019s Defence Ministry said it detected the drone incursion late on Saturday, and scrambled two F-16 fighter jets as well as two Eurofighters \u2013 part of German air policing missions in Romania \u2013 while also warning citizens to take cover.<\/p>\n It said the jets followed the drone until \u201cit disappeared from the radar\u201d near the Romanian village of Chilia Veche.<\/p>\n Minister of National Defence Ionut Mosteanu said the F-16 pilots came close to taking down the drone before it left the country\u2019s airspace, adding that helicopters would survey the area near the border to look for potential drone parts.<\/p>\n \u201cBut all information at this moment indicates the drone exited airspace to Ukraine,\u201d he told the private television station Antena 3.<\/p>\n Romania, an EU and NATO state which shares a 650km (400-mile) border with Ukraine, has had Russian drone fragments fall onto its territory repeatedly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the social media platform X that data showed the drone breached about 10km (6 miles) into Romanian territory and operated in NATO airspace for about 50 minutes.<\/p>\n He alleged that the Russian military knows exactly where its drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is an obvious expansion of the war by Russia \u2013 and this is exactly how they act,\u201d Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n \u201cSanctions against Russia are needed. Tariffs against Russian trade are needed. Collective defence is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweden also condemned the drone incursion in Romania.<\/p>\n Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard wrote on X that the breach was \u201canother unacceptable violation of NATO airspace\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cSweden stands in full solidarity with\u00a0Romania\u00a0as a NATO Ally and EU Member State. We are always ready to contribute further to the deterrence and defence of the Alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n