Romania Deploys F-16 Fighter Jets in Response to Russian Attack on Odesa Region

During the night of August 5th to 6th, Romania deployed its F-16 fighter jets in response to a large-scale Russian drone attack on the Odesa region.

The Romanian Ministry of National Defence reported on this.

The Ministry noted that the Russian strike targeted civilian infrastructure near the city of Izmail, located close to the Romanian border.

During the night, Romanian radar detected aerial targets in Ukrainian airspace near Tulcea County. At 1:10 a.m., residents in the northern part of the county were alerted through the RO-Alert warning system.

To monitor the national airspace, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled. It was reported that no unauthorized incursions were detected during the patrol.

Oleh Kiper, Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, reported this morning that the gas infrastructure in the Izmail district of the Odesa region was damaged as a result of a Russian strike. The damage includes a main gas pipeline as well as the destruction of production equipment.

The Romanian Ministry of National Defence condemned these aggressive actions by Russia, stating that they “grossly violate international law and threaten regional security.”

This May, Romania enacted new laws allowing its armed forces to shoot down enemy drones and carry out military operations on national territory during peacetime.