Fresh Escalation Fears as Two Russian Drones Fly Into NATO Airspace

During an attempted airstrike over the weekend, two Russian drones flew into the airspace of NATO member states Latvia and Romania, sparking fears of an escalation of conflict.

Knewz.com has learned that this is not the first time Russian drones have invaded Romanian airspace—the last time a similar transgression happened was in late July 2024.

The Defense Ministry of Romania said in a statement that military radars detected a Russian drone briefly trespassing into the NATO member’s airspace earlier on September 8, Sunday.

The breach of the nation’s airspace triggered phone alerts to the residents of the border counties of Tulcea and Constanța, with initial reports suggesting that the drone had crashed in an unpopulated area near the village of Periprava.

However, it has since been reported that the drone went on its way towards Ukraine following the brief incursion.

The latest trespass into the Romanian airspace has been met with significant criticism from the nation, with the Foreign Ministry labeling the incident a “renewed violation.”

The Ministry also called on Moscow to end the “repeated attacks,” which could lead to an “irresponsible escalation” in the region, and demanded that Russia respect “the rules of international law.”

On the other hand, authorities in Latvia – a fellow NATO member state – reported that a Russian drone breached the country’s airspace from Belarus on Saturday, September 7.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs wrote about the incursion on X, formerly known as Twitter:

“Russian military drone has crashed in the Eastern part of Latvia yesterday. There is an ongoing investigation. We are in close contact with our allies. The number of such incidents is increasing along the Eastern flank of NATO and we must address them collectively.”

The Defense Ministry of the nation confirmed that the trespassing Russian drone subsequently crashed in the Rezekne municipality in eastern Latvia.

Andris Spruds, the Latvian Minister of Defense, “emphasized the need to strengthen Latvia’s eastern border and improve air defense and electronic warfare systems to counter such UAV incursions,” it has been reported.

Andry Yermak, the Chief of Staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, commented on the Russian drones’ incursion into NATO airspace, saying:

“NATO should respond to the fact that Russian [Shahed drones] feel free in the airspace of European countries. They need to be knocked down. Russia always does this – they try to feel [probe] for weak points. The reaction should be strong.”

It is worth noting that the incursion of Russian drones over the weekend coincided with a significant airstrike launched by Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, involving rockets, missiles, and artillery shells.

According to reports, the airstrike on Sunday, September 8, left seven people dead across Ukraine.

Two people have reportedly died as a result of the airstrike in the city of Sumy in Northeast Ukraine, with four others injured—including children.

It was also reported that a separate airstrike on the Donetsk region late Saturday and early Sunday claimed the lives of four more. In Kharkiv, the airstrikes left one dead and injured 10 others.

President Zelensky shared a statement about the series of Russian aerial strikes on Ukraine, saying, “In just one week, Russia has used over 800 guided aerial bombs, nearly 300 Shahed drones, and more than 60 missiles of various types against our people.”

In his statement, he reiterated his call upon Ukrane’s allies to allow the armed forces to use Western weapons to strike targets deep within Russian territories:

“Terror can only be reliably stopped in one way: by striking Russian military airfields, their bases, and the logistics of Russian terror. We must achieve this.”

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