Romania scrambles F-16 jets after drones detected near Ukrainian border

Romanian fighter jets were deployed for patrols near the Ukrainian border on the night of September 15 after drones were detected near the country’s airspace, Romania’s Ministry of National Defence press service said.

Military radar systems tracked several aerial targets on the Ukrainian side near the country’s border during the night. Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to monitor the situation, while an air raid alert was declared in the border county of Tulcea, Caliber.Az reports.

Sistemul de supraveghere radar al Ministerului Apărării Naționale a detectat marți, 15 septembrie, mai multe ținte aeriene în Ucraina, în apropierea graniței cu România.

Astfel, în jurul orei 03.10, a fost detectată o țintă aeriană la aproximativ 35 de kilometri nord de Chilia.… pic.twitter.com/hh8LPrwFAU

— MApN (@MApNRomania) September 15, 2026

Two more drones were subsequently detected 30 kilometres north of Periprava, a Romanian village on the Danube opposite Vylkove in Ukraine. An air raid alert was declared again in the area.

Ultimately, no violations of Romanian airspace were recorded.

By Jeyhun Aghazada