The key facts

  • Two Romanian Air Force F-16s were scrambled after an air target was detected near the border with Ukraine
  • Alerts for residents were activated in the northern and eastern parts of Tulcea County
  • The prime minister condemned strikes on three ships near Sulina and pledged to work with NATO allies

Alarm at the border

Romania's Ministry of National Defence reported that on Saturday afternoon it detected an air target approximately 20 kilometers northeast of Vylkove in Ukraine. In response, two F-16 fighter jets of the Romanian Air Force, on airspace protection duty, took off from the 86th Air Base in Fetești, Anadolu reports.

Alert for residents

The National Military Command Center notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in order to activate measures to alert residents in the northern and eastern parts of Tulcea County. Authorities said additional information would be provided as the situation develops.

Strikes on ships near Sulina

The same day, Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's successor in office, Lucian Niculescu, condemned drone attacks on three commercial vessels off the country's Black Sea coast. According to him, “these incidents are unacceptable and constitute a violation of international law,” and Russia's war against Ukraine is worsening the situation in the Black Sea; he pledged to work with NATO allies to strengthen regional security. The ships were hit on Saturday evening and overnight near Sulina, a port city at the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea.