WW3 fears soar as drone breaches NATO country's airspace

The president of the NATO member state has issued a statement. 09:49, Fri, Jul 24, 2026 Updated: 10:35, Fri, Jul 24, 2026 (file picture) A Romanian fighter jet shot down the drone (Image: Getty)A drone was shot down after it breached the airspace of a NATO member country. Romanian President Nicușor Dan said an F-16 pilot destroyed the aircraft at around 11am local time after it entered the country's airspace.In a post on X, he said: "This morning, around 11:00 a.m., a Romanian pilot in an F-16 aircraft shot down a drone that had entered our country's airspace. The area was uninhabited, so the pilot was able to fire without any risk involved. Currently, teams from institutions with relevant responsibilities are investigating the area to provide all the details about the incident." The president did not identify who operated the drone or say where it had come from. Officials are continuing to investigate the incident and have not released further details. Romania's Ministry of National Defence later said its radar surveillance system detected the aerial target at 9.39am, around 20km east of Sulina, after it entered the country's airspace. Get the latest news from around the world and...