Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar has urged NATO to implement a "robust coordinated" response to incidents where Russian missiles or drones targeting Ukraine stray into the alliance's airspace. At a meeting of NATO's eastern flank nations in Bucharest, Tilvar emphasized the growing concerns over Russian activities in the Black Sea region and beyond.

Romania has frequently detected drones, particularly in the Danube area where Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports occur. Recently, traces of crashed drones were also discovered in Latvia and Poland. The escalation of tensions was further highlighted last week when Ukraine accused Russia of using strategic bombers to strike a civilian grain ship in the Black Sea, off the Romanian coast.

Tilvar, addressing the B9 countries—a regional NATO group that includes Bulgaria—stressed the urgent need for a coordinated response and the implementation of a rotational air defense and integrated missile defense system. "The repeated incursions of Russian drones and missiles into NATO airspace in Poland, Romania, Latvia, and the escalating tensions on NATO's eastern flank necessitate a strong allied response," Tilvar stated.

Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski noted that the upcoming NATO defense ministers' meeting in October will need to address the issue of drones entering allied airspace. Zalewski also mentioned confirmed hybrid attacks against NATO allies and Belarus's involvement in Russia's actions.

For months, Kyiv has requested assistance from neighboring countries' air forces to help repel Russian air attacks without entering Ukrainian airspace, thus supporting Ukrainian air defenses. Brussels has largely responded with statements indicating that the offending aircraft were not intended for NATO targets, although there are growing concerns about the frequency of such incidents this year.