Romania planning law to shoot down drones breaching airspace

Romania could shoot down drones illegally breaching its airspace, based on threat levels and risks to human life and property, a draft law published by the Defence Ministry showed.

Romania, which shares a 650-km (400-mile) border with Ukraine, has had Russian drone fragments fall onto its territory repeatedly over the past year as Moscow attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure.

The draft law, which was put up for public debate on Monday, sets out specific conditions for Romania to control the use of its airspace both for piloted and unmanned aircraft.

Parliament will have final approval after the government clears the law.

"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 draft law says.

"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 measures proposed for piloted vehicles are progressive, from establishing the aircraft's position and identity, to attempting contact, interception and warning shots.

Piloted aircraft flying without authorisation could only be destroyed only if it conducted an attack or responded aggressively to interception.

Unmanned aerial vehicles, most often drones, can be destroyed, neutralised or taken control of depending on threat levels. Destruction is a last resort.

Under the proposed law, allied systems present in Romania could also participate in any action, in agreement with collective defence treaties with the NATO and EU member.

Earlier this month, Romania's radar systems detected four separate signals, likely from drones, breaching its national airspace.