Romanian F-16s shoot down two drones over the Black Sea

Summary

Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two drones over the country’s territorial waters on Saturday, the defence ministry said, according to The Straits Times. Euronews reports that the ministry later identified the targets as jet-powered attack drones from the Geran family. Le Monde places the shootdown about 20 kilometers southeast of Sulina, while Deutsche Welle notes that two chemical tankers were hit by drones near Romania’s Black Sea coast earlier this week. This follows reports that drone strikes on two tankers near Romania’s Black Sea coast left seven sailors missing.

Timeline

1. Le Monde

   17 Oct 2026, 17:34 UTCSource ↗

   Le Monde reports that F-16 fighter jets shot down two drones about 20 kilometers southeast of Sulina.

2. Deutsche Welle

   17 Oct 2026, 17:51 UTCSource ↗

   Deutsche Welle reports that Romanian Air Force F-16s shot down two drones over Romanian territorial waters and notes that two chemical tankers were hit by drones near the coast earlier this week.

3. Euronews

   17 Oct 2026, 18:14 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that two F-16s on air-policing missions intercepted the drones and says the Defence Ministry later identified them as jet-powered attack drones from the Geran family.

4. The Straits Times

   18 Oct 2026, 14:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Straits Times reports that Romanian F-16s shot down two drones over the country’s territorial waters on Saturday, citing the defence ministry.