Romania scrambles F-16 jets after aerial targets detected near Ukrainian border

Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets early on September 11 after its radar surveillance system detected a group of aerial targets near the Ukrainian border, prompting authorities to issue an emergency alert to residents in the northern part of Tulcea County.

Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said the targets were detected at around 4:15 a.m. local time, approximately 16 kilometres north of the Ukrainian town of Vylkove and close to Romania’s border, Caliber.Az reports. 

“The National Military Command Centre notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations regarding the need to alert the population in the northern part of Tulcea County, and a RO-Alert message was issued at 04:36,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Two Romanian Air Force F-16s operating from the 86th Borcea Air Base under the country’s Air Policing Service were scrambled to monitor the situation.

The air alert in northern Tulcea County was lifted at 6:30 a.m., with the Defence Ministry saying there had been no reported violation of Romanian airspace.