Romania deployed F-16 fighter jets in the early hours of 22 November after Russian air strikes hit southern Odesa Oblast near the state border, prompting air raid alerts for settlements along the Danube River, Digi24 reports.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed Saturday morning that two F-16 fighters were scrambled overnight between 21 and 22 November to monitor airspace near the Ukrainian border during another Russian aerial attack.
At 1:33 am., air raid sirens sounded in northern settlements of Tulcea County following the detection of Russian strike drones in the area of Izmail, Ukraine.
The ministry emphasized that no violations of Romanian airspace were recorded. The fighter jets returned to Borcea Air Base at 3:42 am.
"We are in permanent contact with our allies, we exchange operational information in real time and we act decisively to guarantee the security of Romania and NATO's eastern flank," the ministry stated.
The Russian shelling damaged the Orlivka border crossing point between Ukraine and Romania, according to reports. Operations at the checkpoint have been suspended until the consequences are addressed.
Earlier this week, during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, one drone flew over Romanian and Moldovan territory.
Poland also scrambled aircraft that day and preemptively closed airports in Rzeszów and Lublin.
On November 17, several Romanian villages along the Danube were evacuated due to a fire on an LPG tanker near the Ukrainian shore following Russian strikes.
