Czech foreign minister: Russia has to pay for latest drone provocation
Photo: Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky (Getty Images)
Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavský responded to the incident involving a Russian drone that violated Romania's airspace, according to his post on Twitter.
He said that Russia "continues to provoke" and that NATO allies must remain vigilant.
"Russia continues to provoke. Last night, it was Romania. I do not believe in Russian "mistakes." As NATO allies, we remain vigilant. Russia must pay a concrete price for its provocations against NATO. That is why Czechia supports further sanctions," the minister stated.
Violation of Romanian airspace
On September 13, F-16 fighters were scrambled to intercept a drone detected in Romanian airspace near Tulcea; the target was tracked to the area of Chilia Veche. The incident occurred amid ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure near the border.
The drone did not fly over residential areas and did not pose a threat to civilians.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the incident, emphasized that Russian forces are well aware of the routes and flight durations of their drones, so it cannot be considered accidental.
The head of state once again called on European partners to impose additional sanctions against Russia.
In addition, Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu described the launch of Russian drones into the country as dangerous provocations and stated that she would raise the issue at the UN General Assembly.
