Bucharest: Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets on Saturday after detecting a drone that had breached its airspace during a Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine.

According to France24.com, The Romanian defense ministry emphasized that the drone did not fly over populated areas and posed no immediate threat to the safety of the population.

The incident follows a similar breach in Poland, where authorities denounced the intrusion of Russian drones into their airspace earlier this week. Poland has urged Moscow to refrain from such “provocations.”

The Romanian defense ministry’s statement reassured the public, noting that the drone did not pose any imminent threat. Meanwhile, teams were on standby, ready to begin searching for any potential debris from the aerial vehicle.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is intentionally expanding its drone operations. He called for the West to respond with tougher sanctions and enhanced defense cooperation. “Do not wait for dozens of shaheds and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions,” he urged, referring to the Iranian-designed Shahed drones being used by Russia.

In Washington, US President Donald Trump expressed readiness to impose major sanctions on Russia, contingent on all NATO nations doing the same and ceasing to buy Russian oil.

Romania has already taken legislative measures to counter such threats. In February, the country’s upper house of parliament passed a law allowing Romania to shoot down drones that breach its airspace.

In response to these developments, NATO announced plans on Friday to strengthen the defense of Europe’s eastern flank. This comes in the wake of Poland shooting down drones that had violated its airspace, marking the first known instance of a NATO member firing shots during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.