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NATO Nation Scrambles F-16 Fighter Jets After Russian Attack on Ukraine
Romania has said it scrambled F-16 jets in response to Russian drones landing near the border of the NATO country.
The fourth-generation aircraft were sent into the air after drones approached from Ukrainian airspace near the Romanian border overnight Tuesday, Romania’s Air Force said.
There is growing concern that drones launched in the war between Russia and Ukraine are landing in NATO territory, with most incidents occurring in Romania, close to Ukrainian Danube River ports, which are Moscow’s targets.
Given the alliance charter’s collective response pledge, the incidents have raised fears over the war in Ukraine spilling over into the rest of Europe.
Russian forces conducted drone strikes on civilian and port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine on Wednesday, near the border with Romania, in Tulcea County, Romania’s Air Force said in a statement.
Russian drones in Ukrainian air space had approached the border of the NATO country at 3:20 a.m., prompting Romania to scramble two F-16 from Borcea to monitor the situation before returning to base two hours later, the statement said.
Preparations were made to alert residents in the Chilia Vecha of possible danger, but this alert was stood down, and no breaches of Romanian airspace were recorded.
Romania’s Defense Ministry condemned the Russian drone attacks targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure as unjustified and against international law.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that Russia had launched 57 Shahed attack UAVs and decoy drones overnight Tuesday, 29 of which were destroyed and 14 disappeared from radar.
It comes days after Norway scrambled fighter jets stationed in Poland for the first time after “intense long-range aviation activity” was detected due to Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, including its west, which borders NATO territory.
Last October, Romania said it had to scramble fighter jets in successive days after drones breached its airspace for the second time in two days.
Romania’s Air Force, in a statement on Wednesday: “Russian forces resumed the series of drone strikes on civilian and port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine…near the border with Romania, in Tulcea County.
“As a result of this situation, two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft conducting Air Policing Combat Service took off from the 86th Airbase in Borcea.”
Romania’s Air Force said it would continue to monitor its airspace and would work with NATO over the risk Russian drones pose. This follows the alliance stepping up its airspace surveillance over Romania since September by deploying an additional Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
Miami herald