Romania scrambles helicopter over aerial threat near border

Romania’s Ministry of Defence detected an aerial target near the country’s state border, prompting the Romanian Air Force to deploy an IAR-330 PUMA SOCAT helicopter to monitor the situation.

The target was spotted approximately eight kilometres north of the Ukrainian city of Vylkove, across the border in Ukraine’s Odesa region.

At around 13:15 local time, residents in the northern and eastern parts of Tulcea County received a RO-Alert warning about a potential danger. The alert was lifted at 14:44.

Romania’s Defence Ministry later clarified that there had been no reports of a violation of the country’s airspace.

The incident came as authorities were also dealing with the discovery of suspected drone debris along Romania’s Black Sea coast. On the morning of August 26, vacationers found a fragment of an unidentified drone on a beach in the resort town of Olimp and notified local authorities.

Following a storm that swept through the area last week, waves washed significant amounts of drone debris ashore along the Romanian coastline. The beach in Olimp remains closed pending further measures.

Romanian authorities have repeatedly reported incidents involving Russian drones near or inside the country’s territory. In May 2026, a drone crashed onto the roof of a 10-story residential building in Galați and exploded, injuring two people.

Since the beginning of 2026, Romanian authorities have recorded 60 attacks, 25 unauthorized drone incursions, and 32 detected drones or drone fragments near the country’s border.

Romanian military personnel continue to monitor the airspace in border areas, particularly in the vicinity of Ukraine’s Odesa region.

By Vafa Guliyeva