Romania deployed F-16 fighter jets early on January 17 in response to a Russian drone attack targeting Ukrainian settlements along the Danube River.
According to Romanian media outlet Digi24, one drone reportedly crashed on Romanian territory during the assault.
An air-raid alert was issued at 1:46 am for Romanian villages along the Danube as explosions echoed from Ukrainian areas under attack. The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed that two F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to evaluate the potential threat.
After patrolling the area for roughly two hours, the jets returned to base.
Romanian authorities reported the discovery of a “possible drone crash site” near the village of Plauru, which lies directly across the Danube from the Ukrainian port city of Izmail.
Military experts have been dispatched to the area to gather evidence and conduct further investigations.
Romania’s Ministry of Defense issued a statement condemning the Russian attacks, calling them “unjustified” and a “blatant violation of international law.”
The ministry emphasized the civilian nature of the targets and confirmed that NATO had been informed about the incident.
This incident follows the recent deployment of Norwegian F-35 fighter jets to protect Polish airspace on January 15 after Russian aircraft were involved in attacks on Ukraine.
