Cross-border drone strikes escalate as Romania intercepts Russian drone over Black Sea

Cross-border strikes intensified as Russian air defenses reported intercepting 81 Ukrainian drones near Moscow, where an industrial facility caught fire and a residential building in Chekhov sustained damage. Concurrently, Russian forces launched 131 drones and aerial attacks across Ukraine, causing casualties in Zaporizhzhia and triggering fires in Izium and Sumy.

Amid rising regional tensions, Romanian F-16 fighter jets intercepted a Russian drone over the Black Sea, leading President Nicușor Dan to label repeated airspace incursions "unacceptable and intolerable." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia has suffered over 220,000 casualties in the past seven months and is preparing to deploy approximately 30,000 North Korean troops to bolster its forces.

Sources: Koha, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă