The spokesman for the Defense Ministry (MApN), Brigadier General Constantin Spinu, said on Wednesday that it is possible to intervene in the case of a hostile attack against Romania with the legislation in force, but "legislative adaptations" are needed to clarify " the particular situations" that Law 257/2001 could not foresee, because in that period there was no danger of drones."I want to send a safety message. Romania's airspace is well defended. The fact that the drone was not downed, that it was not downed in Poland or in Latvia either, represents a risk, but it was not a vulnerability. At that time there were two F16 planes in the air that were constantly monitoring the situation. The action procedures are the same in the whole NATO airspace. We intervene according to a set of measures that are taken gradually in all NATO airspace. At that time I was in permanent contact with the NATO authorities. Romania's airspace is managed at an allied level. The two F16 planes of the Romanian Air Force were in combat service, under NATO authority. They were in the air for almost two hours, so they could have intervened in the situation where the drone would have represented a danger to the national territory", explained Spinu after the meeting of the representatives of the Ministry of Defense with the members of the Senate's Defense Committee.He specified that the Romanian legislation, as the legislation of the other NATO countries, "provides procedural steps by which action can be taken against aircraft that use the airspace of Romania illegally"."It is true, however, that the legislation was issued around the year 2001, a period when there was no danger of drones, and the situation is almost the same in all NATO countries. That is why legislative adaptations are needed. The Romanian army acts according to the same procedures and principles which activates all NATO armies", added Spinu.The MApN spokesman admitted that the drone, which can be considered "also a provocation", could have been downed if it was "a hostile act directed against NATO territory"."The law was issued in 2001 (Law 257/2001). We need legislative clarifications so that our procedures are as simple as possible, and the chain of authority is as short as possible in such situations. The new draft laws are in approval at the various institutions to be approved by the Government. For now, we can act with this legislation, when a hostile act against the territory of Romania or NATO can be estimated. We need to clarify the particular situations that the Law from 2001 could not foresee (...) In the situation where we have a deliberate hostile attack against Romania, sure that no legislative change is needed, we can intervene with the legislation on which we have now. What we want is to be well covered with all the other situations that could not be foreseen in 2001, when there were no drones used militarily", explained Spinu.He guaranteed that Romania's airspace "is defended in the same way xas in all NATO countries" and that there are the necessary means of surveillance, monitoring and intervention in case of a hostile situation.
Romanian deep-tech startup .lumen, the developer of what it says are the world’s first AI-powered glasses for the blind, has secured a new investment from EIT Urban Mobility, the European innovation community focused on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions. The value of the new funding round was not disclosed. The investment aligns with […]
The health spending per capita in Romania was the lowest in the EU, with spending less than half the EU average in 2023, the recently released report, State of Health in the EU - Romania Country Health Profile 2025, shows. At the same time, life expectancy in Romania is 5.1 years below the EU average, […]
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
