Russia narrowly avoided an armed skirmish with Romania, a member of the NATO alliance, after striking just a half mile from its border.
Romanian defense officials believe the new law passed by parliament explicitly allowing its armed forces to shoot down Russian drones that fly over its territory prevented the Kremlin from incurring on its territory.
Russia struck a gas distribution center in the Ismail Area of Ukraine with Shahed kamikaze drones on Tuesday and Wednesday, so close to Romania’s border that Bucharest deployed F-16 aircraft to monitor. No unauthorized intrusions were reported.
‘They know we passed this law, and in the last two months they have avoided crossing into our airspace,’ one Romanian defense source told Fox News Digital.
Ilie Bolojan, Romania’s then-acting president, signed the law, which Romanian parliament had passed in February in response to Russian drones spilling over into its territory during attacks on Ukraine.
The law specifies that Romanian authorities must establish the drone’s position and identity, attempt contact, intercept and fire warning shots, before neutralizing it.
Piloted vehicles can only be destroyed if they conduct an attack or respond aggressively.
Romania shares a 380-mile-wide border with Ukraine, though at this time there is no evidence Moscow has deliberately targeted its territory.
Ukraine typically receives gas through the Orlovka gas distribution center in Izmail from Greece, Turkey and Romania.
If Russia had incurred into Romanian territory and Romania responded by shooting down its drones, a tit-for-tat escalation risks drawing a NATO member state directly into the war.
NATO allies agree to Article 5, a collective defense pact that states each would come to the aid of the other in the case of an attack.
Earlier this week, drones believed to originate in Belarus, a client state of Russia, landed in Lithuanian territory.
Other eastern European states have enacted new laws to fortify their borders from the threat of Russia: Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania pulled out of an international treaty banning the use of landmines over humanitarian concerns earlier this year.
Lithuania this week asked NATO to help strengthen its air defenses after a Russian drone carrying explosives entered its territory.
‘This is not just Lithuanian airspace, not just Lithuania’s security — it is NATO airspace, NATO security and also EU security,’ foreign minister Kęstutis Budrys said.