Romania scrambles F-16s after drone incident near border

Romania scrambled fighter jets overnight after Russia launched an air attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River, with one drone believed to have crashed near the Romanian village of Plauru.

The Romanian Ministry of Defence said on the morning of March 17 that, in response to Russia’s nighttime strikes on targets in Ukraine close to the Romanian border, two F-16 fighter jets were dispatched at 01:40, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

At 01:55, residents of Tulcea County, which borders Ukraine along the Danube, received air-raid warning alerts.

In a statement, the ministry said: "There are reports of parts of flying craft falling on national territory in the area of the village of Plauru. After the all-clear was given, at about 03:00, search teams began work at the scene. At this time, the crash site has not been established. Search will continue as visibility improves,"

Authorities said the search for debris was ongoing and the exact crash site had not yet been confirmed.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian Shahed-type drones have repeatedly fallen on the Romanian bank of the Danube and have at times penetrated deeper into Romanian territory.

By Sabina Mammadli