Romania scrambled fighter jets and detected drone fragments after Russia's attack on Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Russian forces attacked Ukraine with drones near Romania on April 25; British Typhoons were scrambled to intercept. Debris fell in Galați, a building was damaged, investigation ongoing with no casualties.
In Romania, fighter jets were scrambled and drone debris was detected after Russia's attack on Ukraine, the country's Ministry of Defense reported on Saturday, writes UNN.
On Saturday morning, April 25, Russian forces resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine near the river border with Romania, in Tulcea County. Radars of the Ministry of National Defense (MoND) detected drones operating near Romania's airspace. Two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from the British Air Force, conducting an enhanced air patrol mission, took off at 02:00 from the 86th airbase in Fetești.
As stated, RO-ALERT warnings were issued at 02:14 for the population in the settlements of Grindu and Isaccea in Tulcea County.
The Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft established radar contact with a target located 1.5 km from the port city of Reni, over Ukrainian territory. The pilots were authorized to engage the drones
As noted by the Romanian Ministry of Defense, their ground radars "tracked a group of targets up to the area of the port city of Reni".
At 02:31, residents of the city of Galați reported via the 112 emergency assistance service about an object falling in the Traian Barrier area
Experts, as reported, are conducting an investigation on site. No casualties have been reported.
"According to preliminary assessments, an outbuilding in a residential building and an electricity transmission pole were damaged, with no significant damage," - the statement says.
Drone debris was detected in several locations in this area, which is secured by Romanian police and Ministry of National Defense servicemen
It is reported that a team consisting of specialists from the Ministry of National Defense, the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Romanian Intelligence Service "is working at the scene to recover the debris of the drone that fell on the morning of April 25 in a settlement of the Galați municipality".
"The initial investigation revealed a possible explosive charge on board. In accordance with current procedures, the area is temporarily evacuated for the safety of citizens. Specialist teams will take charge of and transport the drone fragments to a safe zone, where they will be destroyed under controlled conditions, in accordance with legal procedures," - the Romanian Ministry of Defense stated.
Citizens are asked to heed the authorities' recommendations.
"The Ministry of National Defense strongly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation and emphasizes that they pose a new challenge to regional security and stability in the Black Sea region. Such incidents demonstrate the Russian Federation's disregard for international law and threaten not only the safety of Romanian citizens but also NATO's collective security," - the statement says.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense also issued a statement "regarding the incident that occurred on Saturday morning, April 25".
The Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of the Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out the mission exclusively within Romania's airspace in accordance with national and allied rules (...). During the mission, it did not enter Ukrainian airspace at any time
As stated, "the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft established radar contact with a target located 1.5 km from Reni, over Ukrainian territory. The pilots had authorization to engage drones. Since this specific target did not violate Romania's airspace, it could not be fired upon. The mission's objective remained observation, deterrence, and readiness to respond if necessary," - the statement says.
"Allied aircraft maintained a defensive posture, contributing to improved situational awareness and protection of NATO airspace. The Ministry of Defense remains committed to transparency within the limits imposed by operational security considerations and will provide further information as needed," - the statement says.