Sunday 27 September 2026 07:30 UTC
Russian Drone Enters Romanian Airspace Near Chilia Veche
A Russian drone entered Romanian airspace near Chilia Veche overnight, Romania’s Defence Ministry said. Spanish F-18 fighters and a Romanian helicopter responded before radar contact was lost near Pardina. Latvia separately reported deliberate damage to surveillance cables and equipment on its border with Belarus. Poland and Lithuania were also preparing a plan to evacuate civilians from the three Baltic states through Lithuania in the event of war.
Ukraine said Russia plans to spend $12 billion next year producing jet-powered drones and loitering munitions. It said Russia launched more than 2,730 jet-powered Shahed drones in September, of which Ukrainian forces shot down or suppressed more than 1,500—an interception rate of 55%. Ukraine put its success rate against regular Shaheds above 90%.
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Ukrainian forces also said they struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region and a Rostov-region plant that supplies missile and artillery components. Other claimed targets included a Pantsir-S2 air-defence system and military logistics sites. Russia’s latest overnight attacks killed two people in Zaporizhzhia and injured 14 people overall, according to Ukraine. Strikes damaged homes and civilian facilities across several regions, including energy infrastructure in Poltava, Mykolaiv and Vinnytsia.
Accounts described explosions near Iran’s Qeshm Island, followed by Iranian or Revolutionary Guard anti-ship missile launches towards the Strait of Hormuz. The intended targets and results remained unclear. Security was meanwhile increased at the US-used RAF bases at Mildenhall, Fairford and Lakenheath in Britain, with some nearby traffic restricted.
Donald Trump predicted a US-Cuba agreement and said military action probably would not be needed. He said Washington wanted to open Cuba to Americans, after earlier military planning examined possible support from US Army Reserve units.