NATO scrambles fighter jets after Russian drone attack

 Romania recently scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after detecting Russian drones launched toward Ukrainian ports near its border, underscoring growing security concerns along NATO’s eastern flank as fighting in Ukraine continues.

NATO

Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said its surveillance systems identified aerial drones launched by Russia toward Ukrainian targets along the Danube, close to Romanian territory.

Although no NATO airspace was violated, the jets were deployed to monitor the situation as a precautionary measure.

“At around 11:50, two F-16 fighter aircraft from the 86th Air Base in Fetești were taken into the air to monitor the border area with Ukraine, in northern Tulcea County. At 12:00, the population in northern Tulcea County was warned via RO-Alert message. The alert state ended at 12:22 p.m. During the mission, no unauthorized intrusions into national airspace were recorded,” the ministry said in a statement.

Defense provisions

Romanian officials stressed that the aircraft were deployed strictly to monitor the border area and that the situation did not trigger NATO’s collective defense provisions.

Under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, an attack on one member state can prompt a collective response from the alliance, which has increased scrutiny of military activity near NATO borders.

Russian attack

The incident came shortly before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned what he described as a “heinous” Russian attack on the city of Kharkiv.

Sharing images of the damage on social media, Zelensky said, “Preliminary reports indicate two missiles struck an ordinary residential area. One of the buildings has been severely damaged. A rescue operation is currently underway, with all necessary services on site. The exact number of casualties is yet unknown.”

“This is how the Russians treat life and people — they continue killing, despite all efforts by the world, and especially by the United States, in the diplomatic process. It is only Russia that does not want this war to end, and every day it does everything to ensure the war continues,” he added.

Russia-Ukraine War

The developments followed Russian claims that Ukrainian forces killed 24 people and injured at least 50 others during New Year celebrations in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraine’s Kherson region.

Kyiv rejected the allegations, calling them a provocation intended to disrupt peace talks and insisting only Russian military or energy targets were struck.

In his New Year address, Zelensky said a peace agreement was “90 percent ready,” while warning that unresolved issues could still determine “the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe, how people will live.”