NATO may strengthen Romania’s air defense after Russian UAV downing, - Foreign Minister Tsoi
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu stated that NATO allies are considering strengthening air defense on the eastern flank following incidents involving Russian drones.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported by Reuters.
According to her, the drone incident served as an additional impetus to accelerate already planned measures to strengthen the airspace surveillance system and improve the speed of response to potential threats. This primarily involves modernizing radar systems, deploying fighter aircraft, and introducing new countermeasures against drones.
Tsoiu emphasized that Bucharest had previously provided its NATO allies with a list of priority security needs. An assessment is currently underway to determine how partners can strengthen airspace defense, particularly along the border with Ukraine, which stretches for approximately 650 kilometers.
Possible solutions under consideration include increasing the number of aircraft involved in NATO's air patrol mission, as well as expanding the network of radars designed to detect low-altitude targets, particularly drones.
Increased Allied Engagement and Defense Initiatives
France, which leads a NATO multinational battlegroup in Romania comprising approximately 1,400 troops, is already holding consultations regarding additional support for air control systems. The United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain have also expressed their willingness to increase their contributions.
According to Tsou, the United States could also provide specialized surveillance and radar monitoring capabilities without significantly increasing its military presence in the region.
"There is a shared understanding that we need to strengthen the eastern flank as a whole, not just in Romania. This is a discussion we are having with the Baltic countries and all the countries on the eastern flank," said the foreign minister.
She emphasized that the Romanian government views support from its partners as a temporary solution until the completion of its defense system modernization program. Bucharest plans to allocate approximately €2 billion for this purpose over the next few years.
Tsoyu also reported on the development of national projects in the field of countering drones, as well as on a joint initiative with Ukraine worth 200 million euros. The initiative involves the creation of a production facility to manufacture systems designed to counter low-cost unmanned aerial threats, which are being used with increasing frequency in modern military conflicts.
Drone incident in Romania
- On the night of May 29, in the Romanian border town of Galați, a drone crashed into a high-rise building and exploded. Two people were injured.
- NATO condemned "Russian recklessness."
- Romanian President Nicușor Dan explained that the country's armed forces did not shoot down the Russian drone that crashed into a building because the conditions for doing so were not met.
