Moscow has dismissed Bucharest’s allegations that a Russian drone infiltrated its airspace, calling the accusations “baseless” and “fabricated.” The Russian Embassy in Romania emphasized that no concrete evidence was provided to confirm the unmanned aircraft’s origin, while Romanian officials reported detecting an unidentified aerial vehicle near the border with Ukraine.

The Romanian Defense Ministry stated that two F-16 fighter jets were deployed to intercept the drone, which reportedly veered back toward Ukrainian territory before being neutralized. Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu noted such incidents occur “approximately weekly,” but Russian authorities rejected the claims as unfounded. On September 14, Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipaev to protest the alleged breach, though the embassy claimed no satisfactory answers were provided about the drone’s origin.

Russian officials accused Ukraine of orchestrating a deliberate provocation, suggesting Kyiv sought to incite NATO into direct conflict with Moscow. The Kremlin reiterated its stance that Western European nations are exploiting “threat narratives” to justify increased military spending, framing such allegations as part of a broader effort to destabilize the region.

Poland also recently alleged that 19 Russian drones entered its airspace, with Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski labeling it an attempt to test NATO’s response. Moscow denied these claims, insisting the drones could not have reached Polish territory and condemning the “European war party” for inflating tensions.

The dispute underscores escalating diplomatic friction as both sides exchange accusations over border incidents, with Russia steadfastly denying any involvement in alleged cross-border operations.