Romania was forced to scramble fighter jets in the early hours of Tuesday, 25 November 2025, after multiple drones breached its airspace near the border with Ukraine, the country's defence ministry has confirmed.
NATO Jets Scrambled as Drone Enters Airspace
The incident began when two Eurofighter Typhoons, operating as part of a German air-policing mission, were dispatched to track a drone that had entered the airspace of Tulcea county in southeastern Romania. The ministry reported that this drone subsequently turned back and re-entered Ukrainian territory.
However, the situation escalated when radar systems detected a second, separate breach. The Romanian army then scrambled two of its own F-16 fighter jets to intercept a new drone incursion, this time in the county of Galati.
Drone Tracked Inland as Warnings Issued
According to official statements, the second drone was tracked moving inland from Galati, advancing deeper into Romanian territory towards the county of Vrancea. This prompted the authorities to issue urgent warnings to the residents of all three affected counties—Tulcea, Galati, and Vrancea—instructing them to take cover immediately.
As a member of both the European Union and NATO, Romania shares a 650-km (400-mile) border with Ukraine. Since Russia began its attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River, the nation has repeatedly experienced such airspace violations and has had debris from drones fall on its soil.
Mounting Tensions on NATO's Eastern Flank
This event is the latest in a series of incidents that have heightened tensions along Europe's eastern frontier. Several NATO states have reported suspected Russian drones crossing into their airspace in recent months.
Romanian legislation permits its military to shoot down drones during peacetime if lives or property are deemed to be at risk. Despite this authority, the country has not yet employed this measure.
The border breach comes amidst a backdrop of delicate international diplomacy. European officials expressed cautious optimism on Monday following discussions on U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine, which had initially caused concern in Kyiv and other European capitals for appearing to favour Moscow.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb described the weekend talks in Switzerland as "a step forward" but noted that major issues remain unresolved. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the interim results, confirming the U.S. proposal had been "modified in significant parts," while tempering expectations by stating that peace would not be achieved overnight.
