UAV

UAV event in Tulcea, Grindu area, Romania on Thu 20th August 2026

20th August 2026

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Drone crashes in Romania near Ukrainian border.

A drone entered Romanian airspace on the night of 19-20 August and crashed in Tulcea County near the Ukrainian border. Romania scrambled fighter jets and a helicopter to monitor the situation.

Source: European Pravda, citing the Romanian Defence Ministry on social media

Details: The Romanian Defence Ministry's radar surveillance system detected a "group of aerial assets near the border with Ukraine" at 02:23 on 20 August.

Romania scrambled two Spanish F-18 fighter jets to monitor the situation. An IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter operated by the Romanian Air Force was also deployed for aerial reconnaissance.

The drone entered Romanian airspace approximately 13 km east of the city of Galați. At 03:24, it crashed about four kilometres north-east of the village of Grindu in Tulcea County, in an uninhabited area.

The aircraft caught fire after hitting the ground, but the fire went out on its own. No casualties or damage have been reported so far.

A team of military personnel was sent to the site to secure the area. The all-clear was given at 03:52.

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Romania (ROU)

Tulcea ( Grindu area )

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