Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets late Saturday after its defence ministry said a drone breached national airspace during Russian strikes on infrastructure in neighbouring Ukraine.
The jets "detected a drone in national airspace" and tracked it until it "disappeared from the radar" near the Romanian village of Chilia Veche, the ministry said. The incursion occurred as Russian attack drones struck targets inside Ukraine, prompting increased air and ground surveillance by NATO partners in the region.
Poland also deployed helicopters and aircraft on Saturday after Russian drones struck Ukrainian territory close to its border, its military command said on X. The command said Polish and allied aircraft were operating in Polish airspace and that ground-based air-defence and radar-reconnaissance systems had been raised to the highest level of alert. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk later announced the high alert had been lifted but added that authorities "remain vigilant." Warsaw earlier reported that nearly 20 Russian drones had crossed into its airspace overnight earlier in the week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the incidents represented "an obvious expansion of the war by Russia," warning that Moscow was deliberately enlarging its drone operations and urging the West to adopt tougher sanctions and closer defence cooperation. Zelensky urged partners not to "wait for dozens of 'shaheds' and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions," referring to the Iranian-designed Shahed drones Russia has used in its campaign.
In Washington, President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform he was "ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA." The comment followed earlier international concern over the cross-border drone activity and calls for a coordinated response.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio expressed concern about the earlier incursion into Polish airspace, saying on Saturday that if the event had been deliberate "then obviously it will be... highly escalatory." Polish leaders rejected suggestions the incident was an accident.
Moscow has denied deliberately targeting Poland. Several European NATO members, including France, Germany and Sweden, have increased support to help defend Polish airspace in response to recent incursions.
Separately, Russian authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone struck a Bashneft oil refining complex near Ufa, roughly 1,400 kilometres from the front line, sparking a fire and causing minor damage. A source in Ukraine's military intelligence, the GUR, claimed responsibility. Since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has periodically targeted Russian refineries and energy infrastructure in efforts to degrade Kremlin revenue streams tied to fossil fuels.
NATO members near the Black Sea and EU partners have faced repeated challenges balancing defensive measures with the risk of escalation as unmanned aerial systems cross borders. Defence officials and leaders in the region said recent incidents underline the need for enhanced air-defence coordination, intelligence sharing and clear rules for allied responses.
Romanian officials did not report any damage or casualties from the incursion. Polish authorities continue to monitor airspace activity and coordinate with NATO partners to respond to further threats. Both allies emphasized readiness to defend sovereign airspace while seeking to avoid wider confrontation.
The wave of drone activity comes amid sustained fighting in Ukraine and growing diplomatic pressure on European and transatlantic partners to calibrate sanctions, military aid and air-defence support in response to Russian operations that have extended beyond Ukrainian territory.