The Romanian Ministry of Defense published a draft law “on the implementation of military missions and operations in the territory of the Romanian state in peacetime” – an initiative that, once approved by the parliament, would allow the Romanian army to shoot down, including, Russian combat drones flying over the territory of the country, reports Digi 24 TV, quoted by BTA.
Until now, the representatives of the ministry claimed with regard to the Russian drones that were flying through the airspace of Romania that they could not be shot down because there is no legislation in this aspect, the television noted.
According to the ministry, the current national defense legislation “does not include provisions to regulate the implementation of certain military operations in peacetime on the national territory”.
“There is a legislative vacuum regarding the use of the capabilities of foreign armed forces stationed in Romania to counter with non-kinetic or kinetic means specific risks and threats. Thus, the existing legal framework offers limited options regarding the use of the capabilities of the Romanian Army in peacetime on the territory of the Romanian state, when the conditions are not met or a state of emergency is not introduced,” the ministry notes.
According to the initiators of the project, once it is approved, “a phased, proportionate and preventive defensive response is created in the event of armed aggression against a neighboring country, the occupation by military means of its territory or parts of it, the imposition of blockades or any actions that contravene the Charter of the United Nations and international law”.
Last month, Defense Department officials discussed with senators changes to legislation that currently prevents the military from shooting down Russian drones that reach Romania’s airspace.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, numerous Russian drones have passed through Romanian airspace or fallen on Romanian territory. In one of the latest cases, the Ministry of Defense raised F-16 fighter jets “to monitor the situation”, but the army did not intervene in any way to take them down, notes Digi 24.