Romania has exceptionally promoted 10 Romanian Air Force service members in recognition of their contribution to counter-drone missions carried out in Romania and Lithuania, acting Defence Minister Radu Miruta announced on Wednesday.

'Today I had the honour of exceptionally promoting 10 service members of the Romanian Air Force together with the Chief of the Air Force Staff, Lieutenant General Leonard Baraboi. These are people who contributed directly to the success of counter-drone missions carried out both in Romania and Lithuania. Yes, this is part of their duty, but any objective assessment shows they achieve extraordinary results with the resources available to them. It was a moment of recognition for their merits. But beyond the ceremony and the promotions, I wanted to convey one simple message: success never belongs to a single person. Behind every aircraft that takes off on time, every drone identified and neutralised, and every mission completed without putting the population at risk, there is an entire team. Pilots, air traffic controllers, technical personnel, mechanics, surveillance, command and control specialists. People who work in coordination, with professionalism and often under pressure that most of us never see,' Miruta wrote on Facebook.

Romania is safer because of them, the minister added.

Miruta also said that on Wednesday, at the 86th Borcea Air Base, he met with Air Force Chief Lieutenant General Leonard Baraboi and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff Lieutenant General Dragos Iacob to review in detail the security situation along Romania's border with Ukraine and developments in the Black Sea region.

'I want Romanians to know one thing: the Romanian Armed Forces have not become complacent after the successful missions of recent days. On the contrary. Day and night, 24 hours a day, every possible scenario is being analysed, procedures are being constantly reassessed, force deployments reconfigured and response measures adapted to every development on the ground. I have instructed commanders to make full use of all the capabilities currently at our disposal to protect the population against any threat. It is my responsibility to ensure that the Armed Forces receive the resources, equipment and support they need to fulfil this mission. Romania's security is not the result of luck. It is the result of the uninterrupted work of dedicated professionals who stand watch every moment, even when we do not see them. They deserve our respect and gratitude,' Miruta said. AGERPRES/(RO - writing by: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)