Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two suspected Russian-made Geran-4 drones inside Romanian airspace over the Black Sea on Saturday, Oct. 17, according to the Romanian Ministry of National Defence.
The drones entered Romanian airspace around 1800 local time (1500 UTC), the ministry said. The first drone spent about two minutes in Romanian airspace before being destroyed; the second remained for roughly five minutes. Two F-16s scrambled from the 86th Air Base at Borcea intercepted and destroyed the drones just 15-20 minutes after taking off, around 120 kilometers east of Snake Island.
Romanian Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Radu Miruta said on Sunday, Oct. 18: “The ones from last night were flying at 450 km/h, which leads us to think they were Russian-made Geran-4 drones with a turboprop engine.” He added: “This is the first time we’ve shot down drones like these.”
The Geran-4 is an evolved variant of the Geran-2, Russia’s designation for Iran’s Shahed 136. Unlike the Geran-2’s piston engine, which allowed maximum speeds of around 115 mph, the Geran-4’s turbojet power unit allows speeds above 300 mph, according to The Aviationist. The Romanian ministry released images showing an F-16 firing an AIM-9 Sidewinder at one of the drones.
The incident comes ahead of high-level NATO talks on the Black Sea. On Thursday, Oct. 15, Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Toiu Oana wrote: “In its war of aggression ag” — the statement was cut off in the source.
Last week, drones struck and severely damaged two chemical tankers off the coast of Romania, near where the two drones were downed, according to BBC reporting cited by The Aviationist. A “swarm” of Russian drones had been detected near Snake Island around the same time, and Russia later claimed responsibility for attacking two ships it said were supporting Ukraine’s war effort.
Neighboring Moldova has also reported a recent increase in drones found inside its territory. “These incidents pose a threat to citizens’ safety and show the direct consequences for regional stability of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine,” Moldova’s Foreign Ministry said, according to Reuters.
Separately, NATO’s Allied Command Transformation plans to buy six portable kits that can jam satellite navigation signals and drone control and video links for training. The request for proposals is planned for Oct. 26, 2026, with bids due Nov. 30 and a contract award expected Dec. 11, 2026, according to a notice posted by the U.S. Commerce Department.
Sources: Defence Blog · Stars and Stripes