Romanian fighter jets scramble amid Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s port

Romania’s Ministry of National Defense says four warplanes took off from their bases overnight Friday to monitor the situation on the border with Ukraine, where Russian kamikaze UAVs were attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure.

That's according to Agerpres, Ukrinform reports.

“According to the ministry, two F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force took off from Borcea Air Base 86 starting at 1:52 and later, starting at 3:22, two more F-18 aircraft of the Spanish Air Force from the Extended Air Police took off from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base 57. All four fighter jets touched down around 4:00,” the report reads.

During this time, Romania's radar surveillance system indicated the possibility that one of the UAVs involved in the attack on Ukrainian targets may have crossed the national airspace around 3:00 for under three minutes, flying close to the border.

From the data available at this moment, the breach led to no impacts on Romanian soil. The search for possible debris continues, including with the use of aerial surveillance. In this context, the authorities alerted the population in far eastern Tulcea County via a RO-ALERT message at 02:01.

Romania’s Ministry of National Defense sent a “firm message of condemnation” of these attacks launched by Russia against Ukraine’s civil infrastructure, considering them “unjustified and in serious breach of international law”.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, 14 people, including three children, were injured in Izmail as a result of a drone attack overnight Friday, September 27. Three people were killed.

On September 8, the Ministry of Defense of Romania confirmed that during the latest Russian drone attack on Ukraine, a Russian UAV violated Romanian airspace. It was discovered near the town of Periprava in Tulcea County.

Photo: Agerpres