Romania detects 2 suspected drone intrusions near Ukrainian border

Defense Ministry says situation remained under active monitoring, with Romanian, NATO air defense systems continuing to track developments

ISTANBUL

Romania’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday said its air surveillance systems detected two suspected drone intrusions into the country's airspace near the Ukrainian border.

According to the ministry, the first unidentified aerial object was detected in the morning over Tulcea County, entering Romanian airspace from Valcov, Ukraine, and heading toward the Chilia Veche area.

At 06.28 am (0428GMT), two German Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft stationed at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base were dispatched to assess the situation. Authorities issued a Ro-Alert warning to Tulcea.

By 07.11 am (0511GMT), the Typhoon pilots reported radar contact with the target but confirmed it had moved back over Ukrainian territory and was no longer in Romanian airspace.

A second incident followed shortly afterward.

Defense radars detected a second intrusion at 07.50 am, this time in the Galati area. The F-16 jets established radar contact with the target soon after.

The Defense Ministry said the situation remained under active monitoring, with Romanian and NATO air defense systems continuing to track developments along the country’s eastern border.