Romanian parliament authorizes force against invasive drones
The Romanian parliament has passed a law permitting the shooting down of drones that violate the country's airspace. The decision is contingent upon the level of threat to people and infrastructure.
The law provides guidelines for the military on addressing drones that illegally enter Romanian airspace. Depending on the degree of threat, drones may be destroyed, neutralized, or intercepted.
Destruction is the last resort and can only be applied if the drone is conducting an attack or responds aggressively to interception attempts.
The measures detailed in the law are to be activated incrementally. This process includes determining the position of the drone, attempting to make contact, interception, warning shots, and, ultimately, destruction if necessary. These actions may also involve NATO ally structures.
Political controversies
The law was passed by both houses of parliament, despite strong opposition from radical right-wing politicians, who control over one-third of the seats in parliament. Romania, as one of the countries on NATO's eastern flank, shares a 400-mile border with Ukraine. Reuters notes that in Romania, fragments of drones are frequently found falling on the country's territory during Russian attacks on Ukraine.
