Romania calls for stronger anti-drone defenses
Romania has requested NATO allies to temporarily deploy systems on its territory to counter Russian drones. This request comes in the wake of the Galati incident, during which a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building, resulting in injuries to two people. Support is needed until the new anti-drone systems purchased by Romania through the SAFE program are delivered.
The acting Minister of Defense of Romania, Radu Miruță, visited Belgium to attend the NATO military headquarters, which oversees and coordinates the Alliance's military operations (SHAPE), as reported by hotnews.ro.
"In front of military representatives from the 32 member states, I presented the challenges Romania is facing, including Russian drones illegally entering NATO airspace and the risks they pose to our citizens. We also discussed a recent incident in Galați, where Romanians reported detecting the explosives carried by Russian drones. I explained why I consider it justified to request support," the minister wrote on Facebook.
He explained that he provided a detailed overview of the current anti-drone efforts in the Dobrogea region, highlighting how existing capabilities are being utilized, the vulnerabilities identified, and the measures taken to address them.
Following the incident with a Geran-2 drone that crashed onto a block of flats in Galați, officials from the Ministry of National Defense stated that tracking the drone on radar had proven difficult. They opted not to engage the target with F-16 fighter jets to avoid causing collateral damage.
Additionally, ministry representatives noted that other drone countermeasure systems, such as the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and the MEROPS anti-drone system, were deployed in different areas of the Delta and therefore were unable to intervene promptly when the drone fell in Galați.
NATO has scheduled a meeting for June 10 at Romania's request, following the incident involving a Ukrainian drone that self-detonated in the port of Constanța on June 5. This information was confirmed by Minister Radu Miruță.
The meeting will be held at NATO headquarters in Brussels and will involve ambassadors from member countries. Its focus will be on security issues in the Black Sea region.
Romania has requested a discussion within the North Atlantic Council regarding the situation in the Black Sea. Following the incident involving the drone in Galați, we have urged that our earlier request from February be revisited. Until we receive the necessary equipment through the SAFE program, we are strongly advocating that other countries provide us with a list of technical capabilities we deem essential from a military and strategic perspective. This is a temporary situation," stated Radu Miruță, the interim Minister of Defence, during an interview on Europa FM.
Discussions have already taken place with authorities from other member states of the North Atlantic Alliance. However, the interim Minister of Defence indicated that these countries need to announce any potential support for Romania.
