Romanian parliament approves law to shoot down invading drones
The Romanian parliament has passed a law allowing the shooting down of drones that violate the country's airspace. The decision depends on the level of threat to people and infrastructure.
The law outlines guidelines for the military on how to deal with drones that illegally enter Romania's airspace. Depending on the level of threat, drones can be destroyed, neutralised, or intercepted.
Destruction is a last resort and can only be applied if the drone is conducting an attack or reacts aggressively to interception attempts.
The measures provided in the law are to be activated gradually. This process includes determining the drone's position, attempts to establish contact with it, interception, warning shots, and as a last resort, destruction. These actions may also involve NATO allied structures.
Political controversies
The law was approved by both houses of parliament, despite strong opposition from radical right-wing politicians who control over one-third of the seats in parliament. Romania, being one of the NATO eastern flank countries, has a 640-kilometre border with Ukraine. Reuters reminds us that drone fragments are often found in Romania, falling on the country’s territory during Russian attacks on Ukraine.
