During the large-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine on the night of November 19, Romania and Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to drone incursions and threats near their borders.
In Romania, two Eurofighter Typhoon jets and two F-16s were dispatched from airbases following the detection of a drone entering Romanian airspace, the Ministry of National Defense reported. The Eurofighters took off from Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase at 00:25 to patrol the airspace during Russian strikes on Ukraine.
The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) issued an RO-ALERT air raid warning to residents of northern Tulcea County at 00:20. Radar signals indicated that the drone had entered Romanian airspace from Vylkove in Ukraine and was tracked intermittently for about 12 minutes across Romanian and Moldovan territory, before disappearing near Oanța in Moldova.
An air alert was later declared in northern Galați County at 00:59, prompting the scramble of two F-16s from the 71st Aviation Base “General Emanoil Ionescu.” The Eurofighters returned to base around 01:50, and the F-16s around 02:30. No aircraft were reported to have fallen, and special teams were prepared for search operations if needed.
Meanwhile, Polish Air Force and allied fighter jets were also deployed early Wednesday to secure Polish airspace following Russian strikes in western Ukraine near the border. The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command told Reuters that quick reaction fighter pairs and an early warning aircraft were activated, while ground-based air defense and radar systems were placed on high alert.
The preventive measures aimed to protect civilians, particularly in areas close to threatened zones. Polish airports in Rzeszów and Lublin were temporarily closed to facilitate military aviation operations. The Operational Command emphasized that its forces remain fully prepared for immediate response as the situation develops.
Since the previous night, almost all of Ukraine had been under air alert, as the Ukrainian Air Force warned of Russian missile and drone attacks across the country.
