On Saturday morning (April 25), Russia launched drone attacks on the ports along the Danube River in Ukraine. Some of the drones approached the airspace of NATO member country Romania, and debris from the drones fell on Romanian territory. Two Typhoon fighter jets belonging to the British Royal Air Force were scrambled from a local base to respond to the threat.
Romania issued an official statement saying that on April 25, Russian forces carried out drone attacks targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure near the border river in Tulcea County, Romania.
The statement mentioned, “Romanian radars detected drones approaching our airspace. At 2 a.m., two Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled from the Fetești airbase by the British Royal Air Force.”
The statement also indicated that British fighter jet radars detected Russian military drones above Reni in Ukraine at about 1.5 kilometers and, after receiving authorization, successfully shot down one of the drones. However, the British Ministry of Defense confirmed only the deployment of the two stationed fighter jets but denied that the jets entered Ukrainian airspace or shot down Russian drones.
The Russian airstrikes resulted in some drone debris falling on Romanian soil. The Romanian Ministry of Defense stated that the incident occurred near the densely populated city of Galați, where about 200 people were promptly evacuated.
It is known that a utility pole and an attached building were damaged, and gas supply was cut off to prevent explosion or fire hazards. No casualties have been reported so far. Subsequently, Romanian authorities confirmed the recovery of the wreckage of two drones.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan remarked, “This is the first time Romanian property has been physically damaged, and we take this matter very seriously.” The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Russian ambassador regarding the incident.
Romania emphasized that the Russian military attack targeted areas just half a mile from NATO territory and strongly condemned Russia’s irresponsible actions, stating that they pose a new challenge to the security and stability of the Black Sea region.
As a NATO member, Romania affirmed its commitment to work closely with allies to defend its airspace and fulfill its obligations. Additionally, Poland, also a NATO member, announced from its operational headquarters, “Due to Russian long-range aviation launching missile attacks on Ukraine, Poland has also mobilized aircraft for air surveillance.”