Two RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled from a Romanian air base early on Saturday to respond to Russian drones approaching Nato airspace, but did not open fire as the targets remained within Ukrainian territory, British defence sources have confirmed.
The Eurofighter Typhoons, operating as part of a rotating Nato air mission, took off at 2am local time after radar detected multiple aerial targets near the Ukrainian town of Reni. Romanian officials stated that the jets established radar contact and had authorisation to engage if necessary, but the drones did not breach Romanian airspace.
Contrary to earlier reports suggesting the RAF had shot down Russian drones over Ukraine—which would have marked a significant escalation—the Typhoons remained strictly within Romanian airspace throughout the mission. A Romanian defence ministry spokesperson said the pilots were authorised to engage only if the drones entered Romanian territory, which they did not.
The mission was one of surveillance and deterrence, with ground-based radar systems tracking the targets until contact was lost near Reni, where explosions were later reported. Half an hour later, residents of Galați in Romania reported an object falling on the outskirts of the town.
The RAF deployment is part of a multinational effort to protect eastern European Nato members from potential spillover from the war in Ukraine. The UK has consistently refused to police Ukrainian skies to avoid direct confrontation with Russia.
