Romania Detains Russian National Accused of Spying on Ukrainian Antonov Aircraft

Romania's Intelligence Service (SRI) has announced the detention of a Russian citizen accused of surveilling strategic military sites on Romanian territory. The news was reported by Reuters, citing Romanian intelligence.

According to investigators, the Russian national was tasked by an intermediary with photographing and filming military installations, including Ukrainian Antonov cargo planes stationed in Romania. The SRI noted that the investigation had been underway since February in cooperation with international partners, and that the suspect's behaviour matched a pattern already documented in previous similar cases.

The intelligence service also stressed that Russia continues to recruit people from vulnerable social groups for this kind of illicit activity.

A Rise in Sabotage Incidents Across Europe

European countries are increasingly accusing Moscow of orchestrating sabotage operations, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. Russia consistently denies any involvement in such activities.

One of the most serious recent incidents was the drone attack in August on Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, which took place close to Ukrainian Antonov aircraft carrying military cargo for Kyiv. German authorities have officially attributed responsibility for the attack to Russia.

Drones Over Romania

Romania, which borders Ukraine, regularly experiences violations of its airspace by military drones. The most recent case occurred on Tuesday, when a drone that entered the country from Moldova forced the temporary suspension of operations at Iași Airport.

In response to the incident, two Spanish F-18 fighter jets tasked with guarding Romanian airspace were scrambled.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz