The Chamber of Deputies of Romania Authorized the Downing of Russian Drones

The Chamber of Deputies of Romania approved a bill that expands and regulates measures to control the use of national airspace, including drones and other aerial vehicles.

The legislation, adopted on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, establishes that unauthorized drones that infringe Romanian airspace can be shot down, a measure that was not possible previously, as Romania was not at war.

The bill, proposed by the Ministry of Defense, was approved with 196 votes in favor, 99 against, and two abstentions. Now, the bill moves to the Senate for its final vote before interim president Ilie Bolojan enacts it to come into force.

This new law establishes clear procedures to counter unauthorized aerial vehicles, allowing national and allied air defense systems to act in accordance with collective defense treaties. The Ministry of Defense's proposal was presented to the public for debate on October 28, 2024.

According to the new rules, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that illegally cross Romania's borders and fly in its airspace without authorization can be shot down if military forces can't take control of them.

The bill details various situations in which an aircraft, whether manned or unmanned, would be considered "unauthorized," such as deviating from its designated flight path, flying in restricted areas, disabling identification systems, conducting unauthorized aerial photography, or posing an imminent threat to military operations.

The bill also specifies two types of measures to counter drones. Non-kinetic actions include detecting, controlling, or neutralizing drones by disabling their command and communication systems.

Kinetic measures, on the other hand, involve physically immobilizing or destroying UAVs. The authority to order the shooting down of drones will fall on decision-makers designated by the National Supreme Defense Council.

The anti-drone legislation comes after repeated violations of Romanian airspace by drones likely used by Russia during their attacks on Ukrainian targets along the Black Sea and the Danube River. Fragments of Russian drones have been found on several occasions in Romanian territory.

This bill also contemplates the participation of NATO forces from other countries in air defense activities, in accordance with collective defense agreements.

This responds to the growing concern about Romania's vulnerability to unconventional aerial threats, especially due to the conflict situation in Ukraine.

The Romanian Ministry of Defense had previously reported that on February 13, 2025, the remains of Geran drones were found in its territory, used by Russia to attack Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube.

As a result of investigations conducted on-site, it was discovered that both drones had explosive charges on board, which were destroyed upon impact with the ground. Both locations were outside populated areas and did not cause damage to infrastructure in Romania.

Additionally, in December of the previous year, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile flew toward Romania and Moldova, and crashed in a field. These incidents have highlighted the need for stricter measures to protect the country's airspace.

This bill is a direct response to these events, and seeks to ensure an effective response to unauthorized aerial threats, even in times of peace.

The proposal also reflects Romania's growing concern for the security of its airspace, particularly against external aggressions stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.