WW3 fears explode as NATO jets open fire during savage Russian attack

NATO jets were forced to open fire on a Russian drone that breached Romanian airspace during the early hours of Sunday morning (August 16). It comes after one person was killed and 16 were left injured in a series of ballistic missile and drone strikes against multiple regions of Ukraine.

The drone was spotted entering the airspace around 14 miles of Galai, a major port city located on the Danube River in the eastern part of the country. Two Spanish F-18 planes were deployed to shoot down the drone, with fragments falling between two villages in the area. The incident was confirmed by Radu Miru, Romania's Minister of National Defence, who said his country is the "first line of defence of the European Union". It took place at 4.44am local time (1.44am in the UK).

The minister wrote on Facebook: "At 04:44, the target was discovered entering the national airspace, 24 km north of Galati, at the moment when two Spanish F-18 fighter jets, already lifted in the air, received employment approval.

"At 05:01, the drone was intercepted and destroyed between the towns of Baleni and Cudalbi, in the county of Galati, in an unpopulated area.

"Congratulations to the Spanish pilots and the Romanian military from the command center for a successful mission!"

According to Article 4 of the NATO Consultation, an urgent discussion is triggered among all 32 allies when a Russian drone breaches a border. They then assess the threat and coordinate air defence responses.

Meanwhile, Article 5, Collective Defence, declares that " an attack on one is an attack on all". A drone drifting across borders is considered a dangerous airspace violation, raising concerns about a wider conflict.

The drone was spotted as Russian forces launched a host of combined ballistic missile and drone strikes against Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, and the surrounding district overnight.

Local reports confirmed that missile strikes on industrial facilities in Kryvyi Rih left one dead and 13 injured. A separate attack in nearby Nikopol wounded another person, while strikes in Kyivs Obolonskyi and Holosivskyi districts injured two more.

Just two weeks ago, Romania was forced to scramble two F-16 fighter jets after Russian drones crossed over the country's waters during an attack against southern Ukraine. Officials said they crossed into Romanian territory for around 20 minutes before returning to Ukraine.

Romanian defences also shot down three Russian UAVs between July 24 and July 26. Meanwhile, a residential building in the city of Galai was struck by a drone on May 29, injuring two people.

Other incidents have also been reported throughout the war, which have typically been the result of Russian strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River. The Ismail district in Odesa Oblast, which has been one of Vladimir Putin's main targets, lies directly across the river from Romania.