Romania Scrambles F-16 Jets from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base After Russian Drone Breaches Airspace Near Tulcea, Plauru

Jan 17, 2025, 09:07 AM

Romania's Ministry of Defense reported a breach of its national airspace during a Russian drone attack targeting the Odesa region of Ukraine. The incident occurred overnight, with a Russian drone discovered near the city of Tulcea in northeastern Romania, close to the border with Ukraine. In response, Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets from the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base to monitor the situation. The jets were deployed after the airspace violation was detected at 1:35 AM and returned to base by 3:48 AM. A possible drone impact site was later identified near the village of Plauru in Tulcea County. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Russian actions, highlighting the violation of international law and the threat to regional security in the Black Sea and NATO's Eastern Flank. The incident follows previous similar events, with Russian drones frequently entering Romanian airspace since the onset of the war in Ukraine.