Romanian F-16 Jets Respond to Russian Drone Violation near Ukraine Border

Romania deployed F-16 fighter jets early January 17 after detecting a Russian drone violating its airspace near Tulcea County during attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

Romania's National Defense Ministry reported an attack on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure on Friday.

Surveillance systems detected the intrusion at 1:35 AM, prompting the Romanian Air Force to deploy two F-16 fighter jets from Borcea Air Base. The jets returned to base after the alert was lifted at 3:48 AM.

Residents in the region were notified through the Ro-Alert system at 1:39 AM, with alerts terminated by 3:30 AM. Ground teams later identified a possible drone impact site near the village of Plauru, close to Romania's border with Ukraine.

This incident follows a similar event in October 2023 when a Russian drone created a crater in the same area. Romanian authorities, including the Defense Ministry, Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), and Ministry of Internal Affairs, have secured the site and initiated an investigation.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the airspace violation and Russia's attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure as breaches of international law, emphasizing the threat to regional security in the Black Sea and NATO's Eastern Flank.

Romanian lawmakers recently approved draft legislation empowering authorities to neutralize foreign drones during peacetime. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian drones have frequently entered Romanian airspace, highlighting persistent risks to NATO allies.