NATO fighter jets were scrambled overnight after an unidentified aerial target was detected close to Romania's border with Ukraine amid a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone attacks.
Spanish F-18s launched after radar detection
Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets were launched shortly after 2am after military radar systems picked up the object near the Danube town of Isaccea, according to the Romanian Defence Ministry.
The aircraft, deployed as part of NATO's air policing mission, were sent "to monitor the situation" as authorities issued an alert to residents in northern Tulcea County. Officials said no breach of Romanian airspace was recorded, The Mirror writes.
Russian overnight assault on Ukraine
The incident came as Russia launched a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine, renewing concerns over the conflict's proximity to NATO territory.
Putin ordered another wave of attacks on Ukraine last night, with local reports suggesting a Zircon anti-ship missile, two Iskander ballistic missiles and 152 drones were fired.
Air-raid warnings rang out across the capital city of Kyiv, as well as several other Ukrainian regions, overnight, as air defences shot down 109 "aerial assets".
Recent incidents on NATO's eastern flank
This comes just 48 hours after two Spanish F-18 fighter jets were scrambled after an aerial target entered Romanian airspace. Radar surveillance detected an unidentified target manoeuvring near Chilia Vechem on Sunday, just to the east of Isaccea on the border.
Another recent confrontation on NATO's eastern flank occurred when Romanian officials confirmed an aerial target briefly crossed into the country's airspace before disappearing.
Romania's defence ministry said two fighter jets tracked the object for "a few minutes" after it entered national airspace, before NATO forces lost contact.
The development came days after NATO aircraft were scrambled over the Gulf of Finland to shadow a group of Russian military planes flying in international airspace. The formation reportedly included a Tu-134 transport aircraft, accompanied by MiG-31 and Su-30 fighter jets.
The latest incidents are likely to add to concerns among NATO allies over growing Russian military activity around the alliance's borders, particularly in the Baltic region, where airspace violations and drone incursions have become increasingly frequent.
