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NATO Airspace Breached With Romania Scrambling F-18 Jets Near Moldovan Border
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Romania scrambled two F-18 fighter jets after its radar systems detected an aerial target breaching its national airspace at 4:47 p.m. on September 8, approximately 18 kilometers north of the town of Roman.
The military radar detection prompted air sirens across several local communities, while neighboring Moldova reported that an unmanned aerial vehicle, preliminary identified as a Shahed, entered its territory around 4:20 p.m.
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The Romanian defense ministry scrambled aircraft to monitor the situation without initially identifying the nature of the detected threat.
The event follows an earlier incident on the night of August 27, when five drones crossed into Moldovan national airspace while Moscow conducted an aerial assault on Ukrainian territory.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu described the flight of Russian drones through the nation's skies on its Independence Day as "intimidation."
Romanian military authorities deployed jets to maintain continuous monitoring of the air space following the radar alert.
Romania has repeatedly scrambled fighter aircraft in response to drones approaching or crossing its borders during Russian attacks against neighboring Ukraine. On August 14, Romanian authorities issued three air alerts as Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s Odesa region, with another drone reported entering Romanian airspace.
The Spanish fighter involved in the August 16 interception is part of Madrid’s current deployment to Romania. Spain transferred seven EF-18M Hornets to the country in late July as part of NATO’s strengthened air-defense posture on its eastern flank.
The contingent also includes three NH90 helicopters assigned to counter-drone missions and an A400M aircraft capable of aerial refueling. The deployment is expected to continue through December 2026.
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