Romania prepares law to down Russian drones
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The Romanian Ministry of Defense published a draft law that allows shooting down drones that illegally violate its airspace, based on the level of threat and risk to human life and property, reports Reuters.
The bill sets out the specific conditions under which Romania will control the use of its airspace by both manned and unmanned aircraft.
“At a European Union level efforts continue for a unitary approach to unmanned aerial vehicles as well as to establish measures to counter risks,” the bill says.
However, “Black Sea military operations, the massive increase of the use of UAVs, either military or adapted for military use continue to create major risks at the Ukraine border and near Romania's border area,” the Romanian Defense Ministry said.
The measures proposed for manned aircraft are gradual: from locating and identifying the aircraft to attempting contact, interception, and warning shots.
A manned aircraft flying without authorization could be destroyed only if it was launching an attack or responding aggressively to interception.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, most commonly drones, can be destroyed, neutralized, or taken under control depending on the level of threat. Destruction is a last resort.
According to the proposed law, allied systems present in Romania can also take part in any actions under collective defense treaties with NATO and EU member states.
Final parliamentary approval will come after the law is approved by the government.
Romania, which shares a 650-kilometer-long border with Ukraine, has repeatedly found fragments of Russian drones fall on its territory over the past year as Moscow keeps attacking Ukraine's port infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Romania's radar systems detected four separate signals, possibly from drones that violated its national airspace.
