The Polish incident pushed Nato to launch a new operation<\/a> to bolster its eastern defences.<\/p>\n Romanian defence minister Ionu\u021b Mo\u0219teanu said the country\u2019s air force had tracked a Russian-made Geran<\/a> drone flying over the east of the country on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cRomania condemns Russia\u2019s reckless behaviour, which threatens regional stability,\u201d the minister said. \u201cTogether with our Nato allies, we remain vigilant and ready to defend every inch of allied airspace.\u201d<\/p>\n In a separate statement on Sunday, Mo\u0219teanu said the government had analysed the situation and received a briefing from the pilot leading the F-16 formation that engaged the drone, but decided not to eliminate it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe pilots had the permission to shoot down the drone, but in the moments they had direct contact they assessed the collateral risks and decided not to open fire,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a decision of professionalism and responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n The new Nato mission, called Eastern Sentry, began on Friday evening and will run for an undisclosed amount of time involving military assets from countries including Denmark, France, Germany and the UK.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Romanian army will continue its preparation and supply plans and the Eastern Sentry initiative announced on Friday by Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte will lead to the increase of defence and deterrence capacities on the eastern flank,\u201d Mo\u0219teanu said.<\/p>\n Most European nations see the Russian breaches of Nato countries\u2019 airspace as a direct challenge from Moscow, but the US has questioned whether Wednesday\u2019s breach of Polish airspace was intentional.<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump has suggested the Polish incident \u201ccould have been a mistake\u201d, prompting a sharp rebuke from Poland\u2019s PM Donald Tusk, who wrote on X on Friday: \u201cWe would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn\u2019t. And we know it.\u201d<\/p>\n Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavsk\u00fd on Sunday said the Romania<\/a>n incident reinforced the idea that Russia\u2019s breaches of Nato airspace were not accidental.<\/p>\n \u201cRussia continues to provoke,\u201d Lipavsk\u00fd wrote on X. \u201cLast night, it was Romania. I do not believe in Russian \u2018mistakes.\u2019 As Nato allies, we remain vigilant. Russia must pay a concrete price for its provocations against Nato. That is why [the Czech Republic] supports further sanctions [on Russia].\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Romania\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/https:\/\/d1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net\/production\/6dc4a6ed-3dc8-436e-816d-3cf2788c6de4.jpg\")
Mo\u0219teanu said: \u2018Romania condemns Russia\u2019s reckless behaviour, which threatens regional stability\u2019 \u00a9 Octav Ganea\/Reuters<\/p>\n