The Minister of National Defense, summoned to Parliament in the Russian drone scandal

Angel Tîlvăr, the Minister of National Defense, was summoned to the Parliament by USR deputies to provide explanations regarding the fact that the Russian drones that illegally entered Romania's airspace were not shot down by the Romanian Air Force, although they represented a real risk, potentially, to the lives and goods of the citizens of Tulcea and Constanţa counties. The minister's hearing in the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies would take place on October 8, 2024, during the Government Hour program, according to a press release issued by USR.

Ionuţ Moşteanu, leader of the group of USR deputies, stated: Today I addressed a series of questions to the Minister of Defense. 210 days have passed since the head of the Romanian Army announced that a change in legislation is needed for the military to shoot down Russian drones that penetrate into Romanian airspace. Almost 7 months of silence. Even today, in Parliament, we did not receive the laws promised by the MApN. I asked them when they plan to bring the legislative changes to Parliament and what is the action plan in the absence of legislation. But we saw an aggressiveness from the former Minister of Defense, former Prime Minister, PNL leader Nicolae Ciucă, who criticizes Elena Lasconi for not asking for "hearings and analysis in the specialized committees of the Parliament". This is why we need, in Mr. Ciucă's opinion, new analyses, while drones are flying over Romania, and the promised laws have been missing for 7 months. (...) The Minister of Defense from the PSD and the PNL and PSD leaders have the majority to change laws, but prefer to let Russian drones violate Romania's territory, while the people of Tulcea and other border areas are bombarded with messages RO- Alert".

According to the leader of USR deputies, Minister Angel Tîlvăr should answer the following questions:

- What happened to the promises made to amend the law that would allow the Romanian Army to intervene and shoot down Russian drones?

- In the absence of a legislative framework, what provisional solutions are available to protect Romanian citizens?

- What are the plans of the Ministry of Defense to prevent and react quickly to future incursions?

The USR's move seems late, if we take into account that today Minister Tîlvăr would provide explanations regarding the incident of last weekend to the members of the Defense Committee in the Senate, which was convened for this purpose. However, Narcis Mircescu, the leader of the USR group in the Senate, states that Angel Tîlvăr's participation in today's meeting represents a simple image game, because the event will take place away from the eyes of the media, being one behind closed doors.

"Angel Tîlvăr must not go behind closed doors to the Defense Commission, he must speak in Plenary, at Government Time, to tell the Romanians what the MApN is doing to defend the country, to protect its citizens. For seven months, the Ministry of Defense has been complaining that it doesn't have legislation to intervene, but the Government has other priorities, it hides in useless meetings, it doesn't want to come up with a bill in Parliament", said Senator Narcis Mircescu.

The lack of intervention of the Romanian Air Force in the case of Russian drones seems strange, if we take into account the statements of the former presidential adviser Iulian Fota according to which the MApN has a legal basis to shoot down a civilian plane in the air if it represents a threat to national security, but it cannot shoot down an explosive-equipped drone illegally flying over our country's airspace.

Iulian Fota stated in a post on the official Facebook page: "After three diplomatic calls from Romania, by which we asked Russia to respect our sovereignty and national airspace, Moscow responds with a drone that penetrates 40 kilometers deep into the territory Romanian. An aggression, but also a test, which leaves us with no options. If we don't start shooting down their drones, we will show that we are weak, which would be dishonorable. And since we can't afford to be weak, let's shoot down their drones. (...) We have the legal basis, we just need the political will! Do we have the legal basis to shoot down a civilian plane (with people on board), if it is framed as a threat, in which case the Minister of Defense can give the order to fire, and we can't shoot down a mechanical threat, a board? With Russia declared by NATO as a threat? Why do we keep bathing her?".

The president of UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, candidate of the respective formation in the presidential elections, blamed the governing coalition PSD-PNL for the lack of legislation necessary to shoot down such drones.

Kelemen Hunor, said, yesterday, on Digi 24, that the reaction of the PSD-PNL coalition is a delayed one: "It is not the first time that this drones enter in the Romanian aerial space from the Black Sea and the law has not been changed. I don't know why, for 10-12 months, those from the Government or CSAT have not come with a draft law in this regard. In such a situation, when you have war next to you, the amendment of the law is done in a few days".

The UDMR leader stated, regarding the downing of Russian drones, that analysis is needed in each individual case. Kelemen Hunor pointed out: "If it's a challenge, you have to know whether or not to respond to it. If it's an accident, you act like one, but the most important thing for the president or the minister of defense is that they have the ability to ensure the security of the citizens. After the analysis of the specialists, the order must be given to shoot down such a drone".

What is certain is that, according to some political sources cited by Digi 24, after the meeting with the Minister of Defense, the members of the Senatorial Commission for Defense will work to urgently initiate a bill to allow the Romanian Air Force to shoot down such drones illegally entered our country's airspace.