Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets late Saturday after detecting a drone breaching its airspace during Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure near the border, marking the second NATO country this week to report such an incident following Poland.

The Romanian Defence Ministry confirmed the incursion, stating the drone was tracked until it disappeared from radar near the border village of Chilia Veche. No immediate threat to civilians was reported, and the aircraft did not enter residential areas.

This follows Poland’s deployment of aircraft and helicopters on Saturday to counter Russian drones near its border, with Lublin airport temporarily closed. Earlier in the week, Poland shot down several drones, the first known instance of a NATO member firing on objects linked to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the incursions as an “obvious expansion of the war by Russia,” noting the drone penetrated 10 kilometers into Romanian territory and operated in NATO airspace for about 50 minutes. “The Russian military knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air,” he said on social media, urging allies to impose tougher sanctions without waiting for further escalation. Zelenskyy also mentioned Russian drones in Ukraine’s northern regions and possible Belarusian airspace involvement.

The events heighten NATO’s vigilance, with Secretary General Mark Rutte calling the actions “dangerous and unacceptable.” Romania has faced repeated drone fragments since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, particularly near its ports.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern over Poland’s incursion but questioned if it was deliberate, while Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its strikes targeted only Ukraine. This latest breach, set against the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict, underscores the war’s spillover risks to NATO borders.