Russia is trying to blame Ukraine for the attacks on NATO. Recently, a video appeared in Lithuania showing “drone debris with Ukrainian writing,” which Russian Telegram channels have been actively spreading, Spravdi reports.
In early July, Polish investigators revealed that wreckage from Russian drones shot down in Ukraine contained 4G modems equipped with SIM cards from Polish mobile operators, as reported by Polish journalist Marek Budzisz. Later, a SIM card from a Lithuanian operator was also discovered in another drone. Analysts say the findings directly point to Russia’s preparation for drone incursions into NATO airspace, as Moscow tested mobile network connections in advance.
Fact-checkers at Ukrinformconfirmed that the clip was professionally edited, with rapid scene changes, unlike amateur footage, indicating it was staged.
Fakes come alive on screen
The original video came from the TikTok account katelynltu, created specifically for this post. The account’s avatar is also used by other fake profiles, confirming its bot status.
Stefanov on the stage of lies
In reality, the video is a Russian propaganda fabrication aimed at distracting from Russia’s real attacks on NATO countries.
Russian propagandist RT correspondent Oleksii Stefanov, previously expelled from Latvia for propaganda, appears in the clip, confirming the action was planned.
Sky under attack
Since late July, Russia has regularly carried out drone attacks on the Baltic states and Eastern Europe. Lithuania confirmed that drones deliberately violated its airspace, while Poland and Romania were also targeted by Russian drones.
Similar fakes are actively spreading in Poland and Romania, undermining trust in information about actual strikes.
On 10 September, Russian drones violated Polish airspace. The incident prompted Polish aviation to scramble and temporarily shut down airports in Warsaw, Lublin, and Rzeszów amid fears of a wider attack. NATO advanced fighter jets shot down at least four of the reportedly 19 drones that crossed into Poland.
“The type of missiles used to shoot them down is their business. But they don’t have as much experience as Ukraine,” Ihnat said.
He proposed hosting training in Lviv or Kraków, noting that Polish and Romanian jets have struggled to intercept the “Gerans” — Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones, which he called “not an easy target, especially for fighter aircraft.”
“For over 40 minutes, two fighter jets couldn’t do anything. They tried, but lost a lot of time,” Ihnat said, recalling a recent Romanian encounter.
Operations like Spiderweb, where 117 drones struck four Russian bases, destroying dozens of bombers, illustrate both the precision and mass Ukraine brings to the battlefield. This “War DevOps” culture—borrowing from software development—lets Ukraine redesign, test, and deploy new drone variants in weeks, sometimes days, far faster than NATO procurement cycles.
Lessons Europe cannot ignore
In these consequences, ignoring Ukraine’s experience might be a strategic error. Drone incursions into Poland and Romania show that Europe’s air defense remains vulnerable. Kyiv’s bottom-up innovation culture—where frontline pilots, instructors, and civilian volunteers constantly refine tactics—offers a model NATO allies should adopt.
Ukraine is already in talks with Denmark, Norway, and Germany to share knowledge, and Zelenskyy has openly proposed a “mega-deal” with the US to transfer Ukraine’s advanced drones in exchange for American weapons.
Sky News reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin is trying to trick US President Donald Trump in order to escape sanctions, while NATO continues to face Russian provocations.
This comes a month after Trump-Putin summit in Alaska as Russian strikes against Ukraine continued, while Moscow’s drone incursions into the airspace of Poland and Romania were reported.
Putin “doing everything to avoid sanctions”
Speaking to Sky News at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said the Russian leader is exploiting diplomacy with Trump to buy time in order to “be better prepared.” He argued that Putin’s aim is not peace, but to stop the United States from imposing further penalties. According to him,
“He’s doing everything he can to avoid sanctions, to prevent US and Trump from putting sanctions on him, and if you keep postponing applying sanctions any further, then the Russians will be better prepared.”
Zelenskyy warned that Putin seeks to escape isolation, describing the Alaska summit last month as a tool for the Kremlin to gain international visibility. He said,
“He should have received a setback in this war and stop, but instead, he received de-isolation. He got the photos with President Trump. He received public dialogue, and I think this opens the doors for Putin into some other summits and formats.”
“He understands only the language of force”
The Ukrainian president stressed that Moscow will not be persuaded by arguments or negotiations. Instead, he said Russia’s leader responds only to strength.
“He understands force. That’s his language. That is the language he understands,” Zelenskyy told Sky News, calling on Europe and the United States to act quicker.
He added that while sanctions are in place, they are not enough to stop Russia’s war.
Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of not giving Putin “space,” warning that every delay in sanctions strengthens Moscow’s position. He argued that Western hesitation risks leaving Russia better prepared for further aggression.
It was the second time in less than a week that a Russian drone had flown through a NATO member’s airspace. Last week, NATO scrambled fighter jets to shoot down Russian drones in Polish airspace.
Romanian authorities issued an alert on Saturday for the northern area of Tulcea County after a Russian drone was detected in the country’s airspace, Romanian media outlet Digi24.ro reports. Citizens were warned of potential falling objects and urged to take protective measures.
The incident follows a pattern of Russian drones violating NATO airspace in recent days. On 10 September, a wave of Russian drones entered Poland, causing alarm among NATO members.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defence said two F-16 fighter jets from Fetesti Air Base took off at 18:05 to monitor the airspace near the border with Ukraine, following Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian infrastructure along the nearby Danube river.
The jets detected the drone near Chilia Veche, tracking it for roughly 50 minutes as it operated about 10 kilometers inside Romanian territory before disappearing from radar.
The drone did not fly over populated areas and posed no imminent threat to civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the incident, noting that Russian drones were active throughout the day in various regions of Ukraine.
“The Russian military clearly knows the targets of their drones and how long they can stay in the air. Flight routes are always carefully calculated,” Zelenskyy said.
“This cannot be accidental, a mistake, or the result of rogue actions by lower-level commanders. This is a deliberate expansion of the war by Russia.”
Zelenskyy called for sanctions, trade tariffs, and a coordinated system of collective defense. He said Ukraine has urged its partners to establish such protections proactively, warning against waiting for further drone or missile attacks before taking action.
The Tulcea Emergency Situations Inspectorate emphasized that Romania’s territory is not the direct target of Russian attacks and that the air alert, lasting roughly 90 minutes, was precautionary.
Poland also responded to a separate threat on Saturday, mobilizing military aircraft after Russian drones were reported in Ukrainian regions bordering the country.
Romania is accelerating the revival of its defense industry with American and German support, prioritizing the domestic production of drones, explosives, and gunpowder, Radio Free Europe Romania reports.
The move comes as the country consolidates its role as a key NATO hub on the Alliance’s eastern flank and a critical logistics lifeline for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
Romanian defense facilities with EU investments
Brașov to become drone and explosives hub
In spring, Romania’s Ministry of Economy announced that the Transylvanian city of Brașov would host new facilities for the production of drones, explosives, and ammunition.
The local Carfil military plant is expected to produce drones using components supplied by American defense company Periscope Aviation.
“This is not a simple acquisition; it is a complete technology transfer, meant to build an indigenous industrial capacity in Romania — a long-term strategic objective for many NATO member states that want to reduce their dependence on imports and strengthen their defense industrial base,” stressed Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan.
Mr. Ivan also confirmed that drone production is scheduled to begin this summer, with an annual target of approximately 3,500 units.
“We are beneficiaries of the European SAFE Mechanism, financed by the European Commission with up to €150 billion. We have submitted Romania’s production capacities for the next ten years, along with proposals on how we can evolve, what we can build, and where we can be competitive,” Ivan said in an interview with Digi24.
Rheinmetall invests €400 million in gunpowder
At the same time, Germany’s Rheinmetall defense conglomerate is building in Brașov what will be the largest military gunpowder factory in Europe, with an investment of €400 million.
Romania’s leadership has emphasized that domestic production of gunpowder is a top priority, as the country currently imports it from Serbia, where much of the supply originates in Russia.
“This is essential for Romania’s security and independence,” said former Economy Minister Radu Oprea, underlining the need to reduce reliance on foreign sources.
The new projects in Brașov are part of a broader national strategy to revitalize Romania’s defense industry. German investments are also reinforcing the Mediaș plant, which is set to expand production of military vehicles.
In Satu Mare, plans are underway to launch production of Leopard tanks, further strengthening Romania’s heavy weapons capabilities.
These initiatives align with NATO’s push to ramp up production capacities across Europe in response to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Romania’s geographical position and existing infrastructure make it a frontline state in both logistics and industrial support for Kyiv.
Photo: Rheinmetall Automecanica SRL plant in Mediaș, Romania. May, 2024. Romania. Frame from the Nova Tv Medias video channel
Israel’s Elbit Systems was the first, establishing a joint venture with Aerostar Bacău in 1997 to modernize the Romanian MiG-21 fleet to the LanceR standard. The company also operates a local branch, Elmet International SRL, which produces avionics and drone technology.
Partnerships with US companies such as General Dynamics,Lockheed Martin, and RaytheonTechnologies have resulted in:
creating an F-16 maintenance center
the production of Patriot system components
an assembly and production line for Piranha V armored personnel carriers in Romania.
Meanwhile, France’s Airbus, Naval Group, and Thales have supplied military communication systems, taken over and modernized the Ghimbav aircraftcomponents factory, and entered into partnerships with the Constanța Naval Shipyard.
In addition, Poland’s PGZ has signalled interest in competing with its Borsuk model in the upcoming tender for Romania’s new infantry fighting vehicles.
Bayraktar drones stand lined up at a production facility in Brasov, which received massive investments from Airbus in 2024. Photo: Profimedia Images, Hotnews
Strategic significance for NATO and Ukraine
Romania is boosting its defense sector under the new 2024–2030 National Defense Industry Strategy, raising military spending above 2% of GDP and prioritizing advanced technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, and drones.
The plan focuses on:
joint UAV production with Ukraine
potential submarine manufacturing
modernization of naval forces,
fostering research and development, NATO–EU cooperation, and public–private partnerships to strengthen national security and position Romania as a competitive global defense producer.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Romania has re-examined its security posture as a direct neighbor of the war zone. Hosting vital NATO facilities and serving as a transit hub for military aid, Romania has become indispensable to both Ukraine’s defense and NATO’s deterrence strategy.
By securing domestic production of drones, explosives, and heavy armor, Romania not only strengthens its own security but also contributes to the Alliance’s resilience against Russian aggression.
European intelligence services have dismantled a spy network run by Belarus’ KGB across several EU states, the Czech counterintelligence agency (BIS) announced on 8 September evening. Among the suspects is Alexandru Balan, a former deputy head of Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) and later a diplomat to Ukraine, who was arrested in Romania.
The case highlights how Belarus continues to serve as a channel for Russian influence and espionage inside the EU, testing European security architecture and raising calls for tighter controls on Belarusian and Russian diplomatic movements across Schengen states.
Network linked to Belarus’ KGB
According to BIS, operatives from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania uncovered the network, which relied heavily on Belarusian diplomatic cover to move agents across Europe. The operation was coordinated under the supervision of the EU’s judicial cooperation agency Eurojust.
“To successfully counter these hostile activities in Europe, we need to restrict the movement of accredited diplomats from Russia and Belarus within the Schengen area,” BIS chief Michal Koudelka stated.
Romanian and Moldovan media later confirmed the suspect’s identity as Alexandru Balan, a former deputy director of the SIS. Possessing both Moldovan and Romanian citizenship, Balan is accused of leaking classified information and high treason in favour of the Belarusian spy institution (KGB).
Diplomatic mission in Ukraine
After leaving Moldova’s intelligence service, Balan was appointed as a diplomat at the Moldovan Embassy in Kyiv. This fact was not highlighted in this particular case, but it raises a significant concern regarding Mr. Balan’s previous record of activities within his diplomatic position.
The case highlights the vulnerability of diplomatic postings during wartime and the regional risks posed by compromised officials.
Balan’s record of abuses
Commenting to the Romanian press, Moldova’s former Defense Minister Anatol Salaru described Balan as “the main anti-Romania figure in Moldova’s SIS.”
Salaru accused him of recruiting Bessarabian students in Romania for intelligence purposes, orchestrating bribery schemes, and protecting criminals.
Balan also played a role in the notorious 2018 case, when Turkish teachers from a Turkish-Romanian high school in Chișinău were kidnapped and handed over to Ankara at the request of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The teachers were taken directly from the streets of Chișinău, flown to Türkiye, and immediately jailed, leaving their families behind.
Wider security implications
The exposure of Belarus’ European spy network comes as Minsk deepens its alignment with Moscow. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and later approved the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear missiles.
Belarus, under dictator Alexander Lukashenko, remains a close ally of Russia. Moscow not only uses Belarusian territory to stage its war against Ukraine but also seeks to empower pro-Russian forces in neighboring countries, including Moldova. The spy network thus illustrates a broader Kremlin strategy to undermine security across Eastern Europe and destabilize Ukraine’s allies.
Connexion
