A semi-truck was destroyed during a Russian drone strike near the Ukraine-Romania border in the Odesa region of Ukraine earlier this month, according to REUTERS.

A storage facility containing grain was also damaged during the same Russian drone strike near the Ukraine-Romania border in the Odesa region, Ukraine, earlier this month. REUTERS

Romania could shoot down drones that illegally enter its airspace, depending on the threat levels and risks to human life and property, according to a draft law published by the Defence Ministry. Romania, which shares a 650-km border with Ukraine, has experienced repeated incidents of Russian drone fragments falling onto its territory over the past year as Moscow targets Ukrainian port infrastructure. The draft law, which was opened for public debate on Monday, outlines specific conditions for Romania to control the use of its airspace for both piloted and unmanned aircraft. Parliament will have the final say once the government approves the law.

"At a European Union level, efforts continue for a unified approach to unmanned aerial vehicles and to establish measures to counter risks," the draft law states. "Black Sea military operations, the massive increase in the use of UAVs, either military or adapted for military use, continue to create significant risks at the Ukraine border and near Romania's border area."

The measures proposed for piloted aircraft are progressive, starting from identifying the aircraft's position and identity, to attempting contact, interception, and warning shots. Piloted aircraft flying without authorization could only be destroyed if they conducted an attack or responded aggressively to interception. Unmanned aerial vehicles, most commonly drones, can be destroyed, neutralized, or taken control of depending on the threat levels, with destruction being a last resort.

Under the proposed law, allied systems present in Romania could also participate in any action, in accordance with collective defence treaties with NATO and the EU member states. Earlier this month, Romania's radar systems detected four separate signals, likely from drones, breaching its national airspace.

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