Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 19, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Romania scrambled jets when a drone breached its airspace amid a Russian strike on Ukraine, highlighting regional security concerns.
BUCHAREST (Reuters) -Romania scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday when a drone breached its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure near the border, the defense ministry said.
The European Union and NATO state, which shares a 650 km (400 mile) border with Ukraine, has had Russian drone fragments fall on its territory repeatedly as Moscow attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure across the river Danube from Romania.
The ministry said the radar first picked up the signal of a drone 8 km inside national airspace near the villages of Periprava and Chilia Veche in Tulcea County.
The drone signal disappeared off the radar before reappearing intermittently for 12 minutes near villages in Galati county, it added.
Romania scrambled two Eurofighters - part of German air policing missions in Romania - and later two Romanian F-16 fighter jets and warned citizens in the southeastern counties of Tulcea and Galati to take cover, the ministry said.
The ministry added it received no reports of drones hitting ground in Romanian territory.
Poland, a NATO member bordering western Ukraine, has temporarily closed Rzeszow and Lublin airports in the southeast of the country and scrambled Polish and allied aircraft as a precaution to safeguard its airspace.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously using software-controlled flight plans. Drones are often used for surveillance, delivery, and military purposes.
Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters. It is regulated by national and international laws to ensure safe flight operations.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance of countries from North America and Europe, established for mutual defense against aggression. It promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense-related issues.
A fighter jet is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat against other aircraft. They are equipped with advanced technology for navigation, targeting, and combat capabilities.
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