British Typhoon jets have shot down Russian drones over Ukraine for the first time, after scrambling from Romania in the early hours of Saturday to intercept drones heading toward NATO airspace.
The Typhoons were operating from the 86th Air Base at Fetești in Romania as part of NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission when they were scrambled, engaging the drones from Romanian airspace against targets located above Ukrainian territory near Reni.
Romania’s Ministry of National Defence confirmed that on the morning of Saturday 25 April, “Russian forces resumed drone attacks against civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania, in Tulcea County.” Romanian radars detected the drones operating close to Romania’s airspace, prompting two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of the Royal Air Force, assigned to the Enhanced Air Policing mission, to take off at 02:00 from the 86th Air Base in Fetești.
The Typhoons established radar contact with a target located 1.5 kilometres from Reni, above Ukrainian territory, and “the pilots were authorised to engage the drones.” Ground-based Romanian radars tracked a group of targets to the area of Reni, where multiple explosions were reported.
Romania’s National Military Command Center notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations to implement population alert measures in the localities of Grindu and Isaccea in Tulcea County, with a RO-ALERT message issued at 02:14.
At 02:31, residents of Galați reported the fall of an object in the Bariera Traian area via the emergency services, with drone fragments subsequently identified in several locations in the area, secured by Romanian police and military personnel. Preliminary assessments indicated that an outbuilding within a household and an electricity pole were affected, with no casualties reported.
Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said it “strongly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation”, emphasising that the incident represents “a new challenge to regional security and stability in the Black Sea area”, and that “such incidents demonstrate the Russian Federation’s disregard for international law and endanger not only the safety of Romanian citizens but also NATO’s collective security.”
Romania said it “remains firmly committed to fulfilling its obligations as a member state of the Alliance and will continue to work closely with partners and allies to monitor and defend its national airspace.”
The engagement is, very clearly, a significant moment for NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission in Romania, representing the first known instance of British Typhoon jets directly engaging and shooting down Russian drones over Ukrainian territory, with the aircraft operating in a defensive capacity to protect Romanian and NATO airspace.
Comments (0)