Romania's Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base Set to Become NATO's Largest in Europe

In eastern Romania, work is underway to convert a Soviet-era airfield into the largest NATO military base in Europe. The expansion of Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, situated 97 km from the Ukrainian border, has been condemned by Russia as a blatant example of NATO aggression, according to The Times.

The Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in eastern Romania will surpass the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, becoming the largest NATO base in Europe, twice the size of the German garrison. Strategically located outside Constanța, Romania's main port, the airbase already serves as the headquarters for NATO air patrol missions over the Black Sea. Last month, two American B-52 bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, arrived at the base.

"The closer it is to Russia's borders, the higher the likelihood that it will become one of the first targets for retaliatory strikes," said Andrei Klimov, a member of the Russian State Duma, earlier this year.

Earlier, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis informed the country's parliament in a letter that he has given the "green light" for the operational deployment of NATO forces on Romanian territory in 2024, should serious threats to national security arise.

According to Iohannis, this measure will allow the North Atlantic Alliance to make decisions regarding the rapid deployment of joint operational groups on Romanian soil in the event of a sudden and severe crisis, "to swiftly address the crisis and prevent its escalation."

It was announced in January 2022 that the US would deploy 1,000 troops from Germany to Romania. The Pentagon described this as a temporary measure to deter aggression and enhance defensive capabilities.

"Transforming the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base into a NATO stronghold, capable of hosting 10,000 personnel and US nuclear bombers, was initially conceived as a response to Russian attacks on Georgia in 2008 and Crimea in 2014. However, the project gained additional significance following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022," the publication says.

Last week, debris from three Shahed 136 drones was found on Romanian territory, prompting NATO to increase fighter jet patrols along the border.