Russia: Drone intrusion a ‘provocation’ from Ukraine

MOSCOW (AFP) — The Russian embassy in Romania has said a drone incursion in Romanian airspace was a “provocation” by Ukraine after Moscow’s envoy was summoned by the foreign ministry over the incident.

Ambassador Vladimir Lipayev said Romania’s charge that Russia was responsible for the intrusion was “unfounded.”

An embassy statement said late Sunday: “All the facts lead one to believe that it was a deliberate provocation by the Kyiv regime” and added that Bucharest had failed to “concretely and convincingly respond” to questions posed by Russia.

Romania has had several drone fragments crash on its territory since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, especially as Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian ports.

Romania reported late Saturday that its airspace had been breached by a Russian drone.

It scrambled two F-16 fighter jets, which “detected a drone in national airspace” and tracked it until it dropped off the radar, the defense ministry said.

The drone did not fly over populated areas and did not pose an imminent threat to the safety of the population, the ministry said.

Romania on Sunday protested the entry of a Russian drone into its airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine, summoning Moscow’s ambassador to the foreign ministry over the incident.

The intrusion comes days after fellow North Atlantic Treaty Organizatioin member Poland said it had shot down Russian drones that had violated its airspace as Moscow launched a barrage against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Kremlin of “testing” Romania and wanting to “bring the war” to Poland and the Baltic with the intrusions.