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Two German fighter jets were deployed from Romania overnight amid a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine. The attack targeted Danube River port infrastructure in Izmail, near the NATO frontier.
The German Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, stationed at Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base as part of NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission, were scrambled to monitor the situation in the border area with Ukraine, particularly northern Tulcea County. According to Romania’s Ministry of National Defense, these jets monitored the volatile situation near NATO territory.
Why It Matters
The incident highlights the ongoing volatility near NATO’s eastern border as Russia intensifies aerial attacks on Ukraine’s grain-exporting ports along the Danube. These facilities are crucial for Kyiv’s economy and have become regular targets of Russian strikes. The port of Izmail, which lies across the river from Tulcea city, is clearly visible from higher ground in Romanian cities, underlining the proximity of the strikes to NATO territory.
NATO nations frequently rotate air policing missions in Eastern Europe to respond to Russian air operations near alliance borders. Incidents where fragments of Russian drones or missiles have landed on NATO territory have occurred in countries such as Romania, Lithuania, and Poland.
What To Know
Romanian aerial defenses detected the Russian drones and coordinated with NATO forces according to standard protocol. The German jets were airborne during a period when Ukraine’s military reported 93 drones and two ballistic missiles fired at 20 locations in the country, including the Odesa region. Some drones struck targets in Izmail, causing fires and injuring at least one person.
No Russian aerial vehicles entered Romanian airspace, and the German jets returned safely to base by 1:10 a.m. local time.
What People Are Saying
Romania’s Ministry of National Defense stated, “Close cooperation with our allies in the framework of enhanced Air Policing missions strengthens Romania’s defense capability and contributes to NATO’s deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank.”
What Happens Next
The latest attacks will likely increase pressure within NATO to bolster air defenses and surveillance near its eastern borders. Previous cases of missile debris landing in NATO territory have sparked diplomatic concern but have not yet led to military escalation.
German, British, and Italian forces are stationed at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base on a rotational basis. NATO has not indicated any change to its operational posture, but the continued proximity of Russian strikes to alliance airspace may renew calls for enhanced deterrence measures.
