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Romania’s Air Base May Double NATO Troop Presence, Becoming Key Ukraine Aid Hub
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Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base could host twice the NATO troop presence initially announced, potentially transforming into a key logistics hub for military aid to Ukraine, Digi24 reported on September 4, citing defense sources.
Officials had originally confirmed plans to station 10,000 NATO troops at the base. However, sources now indicate that an additional 10,000 personnel could also be deployed there on a temporary basis. Such reinforcements could remain for several months in the event Russia fails to uphold a potential peace agreement or if a NATO member state faces a direct threat.
Beyond troop deployments, the base is expected to store Western military aid for Ukraine, including missiles, ammunition, and armored vehicles. These supplies would be transferred across the border once transport routes are considered secure.
Mihail Kogălniceanu is one of the Romanian military’s largest infrastructure projects, with modernization costs estimated at about $2.7 billion. Bucharest is seeking approximately $432 million in EU funding to support the expansion.
If completed as planned, by 2040 the air base will surpass Germany’s Ramstein to become the largest in Europe—underscoring Romania’s role as a frontline state in NATO’s collective defense and in supporting Ukraine’s war effort.
Earlier, Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said that while Bucharest will not send troops into Ukraine, the country is ready to make its military infrastructure—particularly NATO-operated air bases—available to allied forces as part of efforts to secure lasting peace in Ukraine.
