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Romania says drone breached its airspace during Russia’s attack on Ukraine

Four fighter jets were scrambled by Romanian authorities on 19 Oct. after detecting an unidentified flying object that penetrated up to 45 kilometers into the country’s eastern region.

byMaria Tril

19/10/2024

2 minute read

An F-16 fighter jet at Romania’s 86th military air base in Fetesti, Romania, on 13 November 2023. Credit: AFP

Romania says drone breached its airspace during Russia’s attack on Ukraine

The Romanian Ministry of Defense reported that a small aerial target, believed to be a drone, entered Romanian airspace early morning of 19 October, prompting a military response.

According to the ministry, the incident occurred amid ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight into 19 October. Russian forces launched a large-scale air assault on multiple oblasts across Ukraine, with over 100 air targets detected, including up to 98 drones and six Kh-59/69 guided missiles.

The defense ministry reported that the Romanian army’s radar surveillance system detected “a small aerial target” approximately 45 kilometers east of the Romanian coast city at around 2:30 am.

According to the ministry, two F-18 aircraft of the Spanish Air Force and two F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force were used in the mission.

At about 4 am, the radar signal allegedly indicated the crossing of Romania’s land border.

The ministry reported that the maximum penetration depth into the national territory was 19 kilometers. However, they noted that “the combat aircraft did not have visual contact with it at any point on the evolution route.”

The surveillance system reportedly lost the radar signal around 4:30 am.

This incident follows a similar occurrence on 17 October, when Romania also scrambled fighter jets in response to a small drone violating its airspace in the southeastern county.

The European Union and NATO state, which shares a 650-km (400-mile) border with Ukraine, had Russian drone fragments fall onto its territory repeatedly over the past year and a half as Russia attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure.

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