NATO member Romania scrambled two fighter jets overnight after Russia launched fresh drone attacks close to the alliance’s border with Ukraine, the country’s defense ministry said on Wednesday.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Russia has frequently attacked the Ukrainian port of Izmail, which sits directly across from the Romanian town and broader region of Tulcea. The Danube River marks the border between the two countries.
Russian drones have crossed into NATO territory a number of times since the start of full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, with fragments found in Romania on several occasions. NATO members are obliged to see attacks on any of its members as an assault on all, and to respond accordingly. So far, the incursions into allied territory have not been treated as intentional attacks on NATO.
AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda
What To Know
Two F-16 fighter jets took off from a major air base east of the Romanian capital at 11:15 p.m. local time (4:15 p.m. ET) after Moscow “resumed its drone attacks on civilian targets and port infrastructure in Ukraine,” Bucharest said in a statement.
Oleh Kiper, the governor of the southern Odesa region covering Izmail, said the area around the port city came under drone strikes overnight. Authorities in Izmail said in a separate statement the Kremlin used Iranian-designed Shahed drones to damage port and tourist infrastructure.
Moscow used between 12 and 13 drones to attack around Izmail, Oleksiy Goncharenko, Ukrainian lawmaker for the Odesa region, told Newsweek.
There were no casualties, local authorities said.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 114 drones, including Shahed uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) across the north, east and south of the country. Kyiv shot down 40 drones and another 39 strayed from their targets, the military said.
Moscow also fired four anti-aircraft guided missiles, the air force added.
Poland’s military said on Sunday it had scrambled its aircraft, working alongside other NATO jets, as Russia launched extensive strikes on Ukraine. No Russian missiles or drones entered Polish airspace, the command said.
Kiper, the Odesa regional governor, said Russia had attacked Izmail several times throughout June, damaging agricultural equipment and private buildings.
What People Are Saying
Local authorities for the area around Izmail said in the early hours of Wednesday that despite air defenses trying to intercept the Russian drones, “port and tourist infrastructure was damaged as a result of the attack.”
Romania’s defense ministry said in a statement it “firmly condemns” Russian attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine.
What Happens Next
Russia is likely to continue targeting areas close to NATO borders, including Izmail, as ceasefire talks fail to yield results and Ukraine’s air defenses become evermore depleted.
