How a family-run firm in Romania claims to produce military drones without employees or facilities

As a media partner of PressOne, Romania’s independent investigative outlet, EUalive highlights their in-depth probe into IntellDrones SRL, a small company in Râșnov, Brașov County, that appears to be positioning itself for billions in EU defense funding under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program.

Launched in May 2025 with €150 billion allocated for joint defense procurements, SAFE represents a massive opportunity for European firms, including Romania’s €16.6 billion share by 2030. However, PressOne’s investigation reveals how IntellDrones – a firm with no employees, revenue, or industrial infrastructure – abruptly pivoted to claiming military drone production, raising alarms about transparency, qualifications, and potential misuse of public funds.

Founded in February 2024, IntellDrones initially focused on importing agricultural drones from China and providing spraying services for farmers. Its financials tell a stark story: zero employees, zero turnover, and about 19,000 lei (roughly €3,800) in debts for its first year. The company operates from a modest residential address in Râșnov, previously home to a fast-food venture called “Food by Ioana.” Original shareholders included Ioana-Hermina Păiuș (30%), her husband Nicolae Păiuș (20%, a former Romanian Police employee), Ion Dorobanțu (30%), and Claudiu Dorobanțu (20%). By mid-2025, the Dorobanțu family exited, and Andreea Codruța Nicoară – daughter of Codruț Nicoară, whose construction firm Bracoma Building SRL faces bribery indictments – joined with a 49% stake. Ioana Păiuș, now holding 51%, serves as the sole administrator.

The pivot came suspiciously timed: In July 2025, just weeks after SAFE’s adoption, IntellDrones amended its business code to include “manufacturing of military aircraft and spacecraft.” Yet, as PressOne uncovered, there are no production facilities, no declared points of operation, and no employees on record even by December 2025. When PressOne journalists posed as potential clients, Păiuș admitted the company currently only imports commercial and agricultural drones but claimed they would “start production of military drones here, in a few months.” She emphasized no state contracts or NATO/EU deals exist, describing future plans as “hypothetical.”

Păiuș’s background adds layers of intrigue. A former member of Romania’s National Liberal Party (PNL), where she held local leadership roles, she has no prior experience in aerospace or defense. Since 2020, however, she has pursued advanced studies in security and international relations, including master’s programs at the Romanian Intelligence Service’s (SRI) National Information Academy and Babeș-Bolyai University. She holds 18 certificates in fields like cybersecurity and nuclear security, many from the Intellspy & Psychological Profiler Academy run by Ion Duvac, a former Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) officer accused of sexual harassment. Păiuș has attended high-profile events, such as the invitation-only Warsaw Security Forum in 2025 alongside defense ministers and NATO officials, and a Romania-USA strategic partnership gathering in May 2025 with ROMARM’s Carfil subsidiary and figures like Senator Marius Alexandru Dunca and General Sorin Dobîrcianu.

Dobîrcianu, a former SRI officer convicted in 2013 for influence trafficking (three-year suspended sentence), emerges as a key associate. Self-styled as a “NATO influencer” and security expert – claims debunked by fact-checkers – he has promoted IntellDrones on social media and met Russian oligarch Vladimir Litvinenko, a sanctioned supporter of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, in St. Petersburg on 30 June 2025, shortly after SAFE’s launch. Both Păiuș and Dobîrcianu deny formal ties, but his involvement raises red flags about potential conflicts in a sensitive sector.

Under Romanian Law 232/2016, firms seeking defense contracts must be authorized in a classified registry, verified by SRI, the Ministry of National Defense (MApN), and others. This requires proven infrastructure, qualified personnel, security protocols, and NATO-compatible supply chains—none of which IntellDrones possesses. SAFE access in Romania involves no public tenders; instead, the state identifies “strategic” operators for direct negotiations via CSAT-approved lists. Defense Minister Radu Miruță noted in January 2026 that private firms could integrate into production chains, but expert Claudiu Degeratu criticizes the over-classification as an outdated “pre-1990 culture” that stifles growth and invites abuse.

PressOne’s findings underscore broader concerns: With €16.6 billion at stake, opaque processes could allow unqualified entities to siphon funds. Păiuș maintains her pursuits are for “responsible development,” but the lack of transparency in Romania’s defence industry – exemplified by a “strictly classified” registry inaccessible even to state secretaries like Viorel Băltărețu – demands scrutiny. As EUalive partners with PressOne, we commend this exposé and call for enhanced oversight to ensure SAFE bolsters genuine defence capabilities, not dubious ventures.

For the full investigation in Romanian, visit PressOne’s original article.

Caption: Ioana Păiuș and Sorin Dobîrcianu [LinkedIn account of Ioana Păiuș]