British Jets Scrambled from Romania Authorized to Engage Russian Drones Near Ukrainian Border

Two British fighter jets that scrambled from a Romanian air base received a green light to shoot down Russian drones flying not far from the border with the NATO country, Romania's Defense Ministry has said. Romanian and UK officials have stressed that the warplanes never entered Ukraine's airspace, or opened fire on Russian UAVs. In a statement on Saturday, the Romanian Defense Ministry said that RAF Eurofighter Typhoon jets deployed at the 86th Air Base in Fetesti lifted off at 2 AM and established radar contact with a target 1.5 km from Reni, a Ukrainian port town on the bank of the Danube, barely a stone's throw from Romanian soil. "The pilots had authorization to engage the drones," the ministry said, adding that multiple explosions were subsequently reported in Reni. After some media reports interpreted the statement as a greenlight to attack Russian UAVs over Ukrainian soil, the UK and Romanian defense ministries clarified to The Telegraph that the aircraft never entered Ukrainian airspace and did not engage any targets – returning to base without firing. "Because that specific target did not breach the Romanian airspace, it could not be fired upon. The mission remained one of surveillance, deterrence, and readiness to respond if required," the Romanian Defense Ministry stressed. Officials in Bucharest also reported that a falling object in the area of Galati – a Romanian city directly across the Danube from Ukraine, adding that drone fragments damaged an outbuilding and an electricity pole, with no casualties. Romanian officials subsequently accused Russia of "irresponsible" actions and the "lack of respect for the norms of international law and endanger[ing] not only the safety of Romanian citizens, but also the collective security of NATO." Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the Danube River has emerged as an important logistical route between Kiev and its European backers, with media reports suggesting the artery could be used for weapons deliveries. Moscow has consistently condemned Western assistance to Ukraine, saying that NATO members are directly involved in hostilities. However, in September 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia "never attacks civilian facilities" and "never directs our drones and missiles at states located in Europe and NATO Alliance countries."