Rubio Warns Russia Over Drone Breaching NATO Airspace; ‘If Evidence Leads Us There Then…’On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondentsGet a weekly dispatch from our international correspondentsGet a weekly international news dispatchThe Romanian defence ministry confirmed that it scrambled two F-16 fighter jets on Sunday after detecting a drone breaching the country’s airspace, just days after Poland confirmed it detected a Russian drone incursion.”Romania condemns Russia’s behaviour and takes the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security,” Romanian foreign minister Toiu Oana wrote on X.Romania’s move comes after Nato announced plans to beef up the defence of Europe’s eastern flank, and the US has vowed to defend “every inch” of its ally as Russian drones breached Polish airspace last week.Russian drone detected over Romania (The Independent)The US joined other Nato countries to express concern about Russian drones entering Poland, accusing Moscow of violating international law and the founding UN Charter.Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump said he is ready to impose ‘major sanctions’ on Russia over the war in Ukraine – on one condition.“As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100 per cent, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking!” he wrote. “It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia. Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?“Romania scrambles jets after another drone incursionRomania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after detecting a drone breaching the country’s airspace days after Poland confirmed it had shot down Russian drones in its airspace.The Romanian defence ministry said it detected a drone breaching the country’s airspace during a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure.Romania says it detected a drone, scrambled two F-16 to track itThe F-16 jets tracked the drone until it “dropped off the radar 20 km southwest of the village of Chilia Veche”, the ministry said in a statement.Romania, which is a NATO and EU member, shares a 650 km (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has frequently reported Russian drone fragments landing in its territory.”Romania condemns Russia’s behaviour and takes the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security,” Romanian foreign minister Toiu Oana wrote on X.Read moreVishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 06:06Russian drone spotted near Romanian villageThe Russian drone that reportedly made an incursion into Romanian airspace was spotted near the village of Chilia Veche, according to the Nato country’s defence ministry.Russian drone detected over Romania (The Independent)Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets after detecting a drone breaching the country’s airspace.The F-16 jets tracked the drone until it “dropped off the radar 20 km southwest of the village of Chilia Veche”, the ministry said in a statement.Read moreVishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 08:20Ukraine considers limiting mobile service to counter Russian dronesUkraine may intentionally reduce the quality of mobile communications during Russian drone attacks to stop the networks being used to coordinate strikes, Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov was quoted as saying on Sunday.Three and a half years into the war, Russia has ramped up drone attacks on Ukraine in recent months, enhancing its technology and increasing the number of drones deployed to maximise damage to strategic targets and key infrastructure.”This is not a disruption of mobile communications, but rather a restriction on the quality of communications in certain areas, like a restriction on 4G and 5G communication,” Hnatov told Ukrainian online video channel Novyny Live.”So that the modems they use on their unmanned aerial vehicles cannot access the internet of our communications operators,” he added.Shutting down high-speed mobile internet makes sense in order to combat drones equipped with cameras that transmit images and require a 4G connection to operate, according to reports by local media.Russia has frequently ordered mobile internet shutdowns to disrupt Ukrainian drone attacks during the war.Sam Rkaina14 September 2025 10:48Russia test fires Putin’s ‘invincible’ missile in Barents seaRussia has test-fired its Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic cruise missile at a target in the Barents Sea off Norway’s coast, the country’s defence ministry said.The thermonuclear-capable missile, which Putin calls an “invincible” weapon, can cover a range of over 1,000 km and target both enemy ships and ground targets.When the missile was fired for the first time last year, Putin said it carries over Mach 8 speed and was part of Russia’s new generation of unrivalled arms systems.Vishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 07:56Trump wants Nato to impose “50% to 100%” tariffs on ChinaTrump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that Nato allies placing a 50 per cent to 100 per cent tariff on China till Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ends “will be of great help in ending this deadly, but ridiculous war”.”China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip,” the US president said.”If Nato does as I say, the war will end quickly, and all of those lives will be saved! If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the US,” Trump wrote.Vishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 07:00Russia continues to increase military presence in BelarusRussia and Belarus continued their joint military exercises yesterday, with parts of the Russian Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Moscow Military District, and Aerospace Forces participating in ground, sea, and air defence drills.The troops practised tactical techniques to “minimise the risk of detection by an adversary, defensive engineering techniques, drone aerial reconnaissance, and defending hazardous chemical facilities”, according to ISW.Russia-Belarus war games rattle NATO’s eastern flank amid rising tensionsThey reportedly conducted the exercises at the 227th Combined Arms Training Ground in Barysaw, Minsk Oblast and the Lesishche Training Ground in Minsk Oblast.The drills are part of plans to integrate Belarus into Russian-favourable frameworks, the ISW noted.Vishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 06:41Ukrainian drone ‘strikes Russian chemical plant’An Ukrainian drone has reportedly hit the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Russia’s Perm Krai, about 1,800 km (1,118 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border.The drone hit an industrial center in the city of Gubakha, according to Russian opposition news channel Astra.No casualties have so far been reported, and the enterprise continues to operate normally, according to the region’s governor Dmitry Makhonin.Vishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 05:30Zelensky calls for tougher US sanctions against MoscowUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the US to impose tougher sanctions and trade restrictions against Moscow’s energy sector and other critical exports.”We are counting on strong steps from the United States, in cooperation with others – strong sanctions and tariff policies – which will serve as an argument for many around the world,” the Ukrainian president said yesterday.Zelensky Urges Europe to Build Joint Air Defence After Russian Drone Incursion“Everyone sees that the Russian drones attacking Poland are also Putin’s war. And this is a warning not only to Poland but to all of Europe. Russian drones can travel much greater distances,” Zelensky said.Vishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 05:13EU mulling transfer of billions in frozen Russian assets to fund UkraineThe European Union is reportedly considering a plan to fund Ukraine by replacing billions of euros from frozen Russian assets to EU-backed bonds.Around 210 bn euros ($245.85 bn) of assets in Moscow’s central ban have been frozen across the West since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.A majority of these seized funds are held by Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear.The new risky plan would allow Brussels to provide capital for Ukraine without actually seizing Russian assets, Politico reported.While there’s no formal agreement on the plan, officials are reportedly viewing it with cautious optimism. Vishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 05:00Russian troops use underground gas pipeline to advance behind Ukrainian forcesFor the third time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Moscow’s troops have traversed via underground gas pipelines to advance behind Kyiv’s forces.The recent use of this tactic again indicates that Russia is improving their ability to disseminate tactical lessons between troops on the front line, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.Ukrainian intelligence reportedly found that Russian troops entered a gas pipeline in the forested area of Lyman Pershyi in the northeast of Kupyansk city, and travelled through the pipe for an estimated four days in electric scooters and modified wheeled stretchers to exit the pipe near Radkivka village.Vishwam Sankaran14 September 2025 04:45
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Romania scrambles jets accusing Moscow of another drone breach after Poland incursion: Ukraine-Russia war latest
