The former commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, currently serving as ambassador to London, stated that Romania allegedly requested Ukraine not to disclose information about Russian drones that crashed on its territory.
The statements were made during a recent conference, where Zaluzhnyi claimed that Bucharest went even further, accusing Ukraine of diverting the trajectory of the drones towards Romanian territory using its electronic jamming systems.
In a speech delivered to the Ukrainian Catholic University community, the former Ukrainian commander stated that Romania is aware of the danger posed by Russia but chooses to remain silent.
"Romania knows exactly what is happening but prefers not to comment. Furthermore, they asked us not to publicly disclose that the Shahed drones, launched by Russia, have fallen on their territory," Zaluzhnyi stated, without specifying the exact timing of these conversations.
The Ukrainian official compared Romania's position with that of other states in the region.
"The Baltic countries understand that Article 5 of NATO does not provide an absolute guarantee and will not be invoked automatically. Poland knows this, especially when missiles – whether ours or Russia's – reach its territory. Romania understands everything but chooses to stay silent," he added.
Pressure for Silence?
According to the Ukrainian publication Obozrevatel, such discussions between Romanian and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly taken place.
"They sometimes call me and say, 'Stay silent.' I ask them, 'But two Shahed drones fell at your place, why don't you say anything?' And the response is, 'Please, let's not talk about it'," Zaluzhnyi recounted.
He emphasized that tensions escalated when Romania allegedly accused Ukraine of using electronic warfare (EW) systems to alter the trajectory of Russian drones, causing them to reach Romania.
"Then they call me and reproach, 'Why did you activate your jamming systems? Now the drones are flying towards us.' I told them, 'Then shoot them down! You have 40 F-16 aircraft'," he stated.
Drones Fallen on Romanian Territory
The incident with Russian drones on Romanian territory is not an isolated case. Obozrevatel recalls that on December 25, 2024, a Russian X-101 cruise missile flew over Romanian and Moldovan airspace before crashing on a field. At that time, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense stated that available data did not confirm the crossing of national territory but promised to continue investigations.
On January 17, during a Russian aerial attack on Ukraine, the northern part of Tulcea county was under an air raid alert. In response, the Romanian military deployed fighter jets to monitor the situation.
On February 13, the wreckage of two Shahed kamikaze drones was discovered in Romania after they exploded upon impact with the ground. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the drones were used by the Russian military to attack Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube River.
Such incidents also occurred in 2023 when several Russian drones were found on Romanian territory.
Romania's Official Reaction
In January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) condemned Russia's attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure near Romania's border, labeling them as "irresponsible acts" endangering regional security.
In February, the Chamber of Deputies adopted a law allowing the Romanian army to shoot down any drone entering national airspace. According to this legislation, unauthorized aerial vehicles can be eliminated by national and allied defense means.