Drone flies 110 kms into Romania, airspace closed in 6 counties as it's shut down

[FfFfFfFF 58,081]

Just now, Bronco said:

If they are using similar Drone production methods as Iran, they can produce cheap low-accuracy and relatively small power drones on a mass scale at a relatively cheap cost. 

Interesting because apparently the drones are not cheap to down on Romania's part and this is in part why it took us 4 years to start doing it. 

It makes sense strategically and as an investment to terrorize countries beyond Ukraine's borders!

[Bronco 24,859]

1 minute ago, FfFfFfFF said:

Interesting because apparently the drones are not cheap to down on Romania's part and this is in part why it took us 4 years to start doing it. 

It makes sense strategically and as an investment to terrorize countries beyond Ukraine's borders!

I'm nowhere near a drone/IR/International securities expert (I only ever took university classes linked to it if it was by one specific lecturer who was a ****ing GOAT), but I'd be surprised if Russia was using it's high-end drone capabilities on this. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/romania-drone-incursion-shot-down-russia-shahed-b3020984.html
This report identifies it as a Shahed drone, which is the Iranian low-cost one way attack drone I was referencing (the Russians mass-produce a Shahed drone labled Geran-2 as part of the Ukraninan war). The US have a similar model called the LUCAS which is based on reverse engineered Shahed drones. They have a 2.5KM range. So Romania would definitely be in reach given Russia's territorial posessions in mainland Ukraine & Crimea - Iran could theoretically reach Greece if it wanted to. 

The estimated cost to build a Shahed is $20000-50000 - which is relatively cheap for this type of weaponry and as shown by the US attack on Iran, it forces defenders to use significantly higher cost interception weaponry. An example being the UK costs incurred in blocking a 2024 Iranian drone volley towards Israel (and US/UK bases) which cost £200,000 per missle used to intercept. 

Russia is believed to be producing around 170 of these drones a day on average with a total yearly average of 40,000. Alongside roughly 20,000 Gerbera decoys. 

So, I definitely think it's Russia using "cheap" expendable weaponry for strategic purposes rather than intentional tests of fully offensive capabilities.