NATO leadership affirmed that the deployments demonstrate the alliance's constant readiness.
"As we continue to prove, NATO is constantly on the watch and prepared to defend itself from any threat," said Col.
Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
European allies echoed support.
"Belgium stands firmly with Romania after several drones were shot down over its territory in the past days.
Romania’s investigation has already confirmed that one of them was a Russian Shahed drone," said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot.
Evidence and Denials
Romanian officials presented recovered drone fragments directly to Russian diplomats.
"The Russian side learned what they already knew: the drones downed on Romanian territory belong to them," said Foreign Minister Oana Toiu.
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She added: "Drone fragments recovered by the Ministry of National Defence and the ongoing prosecutor investigation confirm their Russian origin beyond any doubt."
The Russian Embassy in Bucharest issued an official denial and criticized the diplomatic expulsion. "An unprovoked expulsion of a Russian employee will not go unanswered," the embassy said.
Military analysts pointed to an earlier incident in May, where a stray drone struck an apartment block in Galati, as the primary catalyst for changing Romania's engagement rules.
"This was somehow a kind of psychological trigger, in order to say: ‘OK, enough is enough,’" said Radu Tudor, Romanian military analyst.
Tudor highlighted the wider implications for alliance strategy across Eastern Europe.
"Until now, it probably was an Allied decision in NATO not to respond with firepower, because it was somehow a danger of escalation," he said.
