Ukrainian fighter jets accidentally fly into Romania while trying to shoot down Russian missiles
During a nighttime air raid, several Ukrainian military aircraft accidentally crossed the Romanian border, prompting a swift response from NATO.
Here's What We Know
At around 3:00 am, Romanian radars detected several objects in Ukrainian airspace near the border. Over the next three hours, 12 objects were spotted, four of which briefly entered Romanian territory, in particular near the towns of Sighetu Marmatiei and Vicovu de Sus.
The Ukrainian military confirmed that the pilots were forced to abruptly change direction during the Russian missile attacks, which led to an accidental border crossing. It was an emergency situation amid difficult air conditions.
Two F-16 fighter jets from the Borcha base were immediately sent to intercept the aircraft. Later, two Italian Eurofighters deployed to Romania as part of the NATO mission joined the patrol. All aircraft returned to their bases after the operation.
The Romanian Ministry of Defence said the incident did not pose a threat to the population or infrastructure, but highlighted the risks of warfare near NATO's borders.
On the night of the attack, residents of northern Romania also heard explosions. These were probably the sounds of Ukrainian air defence systems trying to intercept Russian missiles and drones.
Source: Defence24
