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Romania Activates Air Defense Systems as Russian Drones Strike Near Ukrainian Ports
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In the early hours of November 11, the Ministry of National Defense of Romania (MApN) placed its anti-aircraft defense systems on high alert following a massive wave of Russian drone attacks targeting Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River.
According to the statement, MApN radar surveillance detected multiple groups of unmanned aerial vehicles operating in close proximity to Romanian national airspace, leading to the immediate, preventive activation of the country’s air defense mechanisms. Due to adverse weather conditions impacting the southeastern region, Air Police combat aircraft were unable to be deployed.
A public warning via the RO-Alert system was also issued to residents in the northern part of Tulcea County, as authorities confirmed a “large number of explosions” on the Ukrainian side of the river, specifically near the Izmail port.
The situation escalated at 01:09, when the MApN was notified that an aerial vehicle had impacted the ground near the Grindu area, approximately five kilometres south of the Ukrainian border.
“Military teams were dispatched to the scene and reported the presence of possible drone fragments. The area has been secured, and investigations are set to be conducted in the early hours of the morning,” the Ministry concluded.
Previously, Romanian authorities initiated a rapid response deployment of fighter jets in reaction to an extensive Russian drone operation directed at Ukrainian port infrastructure situated immediately across the Danube River border.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defense verified that residents in the northern region of Tulcea County received an alert around 01:00 local time concerning the ongoing Russian aerial attacks on Ukrainian ports. Simultaneously, monitoring systems identified multiple airborne targets approaching the Chilia Branch and the wider Danube Delta area.
Consequently, two F-16 jets were immediately dispatched from the 86th Air Base in Borcea at approximately 00:50 for reconnaissance and situational assessment. While approximately ten detonations were reported on the Ukrainian side near the settlements of Izmail and Kiliia, subsequent official analysis did not validate any violation of Romanian sovereign airspace during this specific incident.
Earlier, it was reported that NATO is implementing the Merops counter-drone system, manufactured in the United States, to enhance defensive capabilities across the eastern boundary following documented incursions by Russian unmanned aerial vehicles into the sovereign territories of Poland, Romania, and Denmark.
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