Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Romanian Army for the swift reaction in downing the intruding drone.

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, sent a message on platform X in which she congratulated the Romanian Army for its "rapid and efficient" response in shooting down the drone that entered Romania's airspace.

Von der Leyen emphasized that "strengthening defense and deterrence capabilities on Europe's eastern border is an absolute priority."

The incident sparked reactions among locals, who reported moments of panic felt during the operation.

The Ministry of National Defense provided details about the path of the downed drone, and General Gheorghe Maxim stated that the Italian pilots engaged the target west of the Danube, at Brăila, just minutes before being engaged by the F-16, but missed the target.

The incident occurred on Friday morning, near the locality of Padina, Buzău County, where a Romanian pilot aboard an F-16 fighter jet managed to shoot down the drone.