Fighter jets launched as Romania responds to aerial threats near Ukraine

Romania scrambled two Eurofighter Typhoons and two F‑16 fighter jets in the early hours of September 2 following potential aerial threats near its border with Ukraine, the country’s Ministry of National Defence announced.

The US-manufactured F‑16s were dispatched from the 86th Air Base in Borcea for reconnaissance missions, Caliber.Az reports.

At approximately 23:46 local time (00:46 Baku time), a Ro-Alert was issued for the northern region of Tulcea County, prompting a swift response. By around 00:20 (01:20 Baku time), two Eurofighter Typhoons operated by the German Air Force had also taken off to reinforce aerial surveillance.

The Ministry later confirmed that no violations of Romanian airspace were detected during the alert, stating that the operation was precautionary in nature.

In response to growing regional security concerns, particularly due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, NATO has reinforced its air monitoring capabilities over Romanian territory, deploying additional early-warning systems.

Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine along the Danube River, has taken a more assertive stance in protecting its airspace. The Romanian Parliament recently passed legislation authorizing the military to intercept and neutralize any unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that enter the country’s airspace without authorization.

By Vafa Guliyeva