US to send Romania combat aircraft after Russian drone crash

The statement of the Romanian Defense Ministry says this. 

On Thursday, September 7, Minister of National Defense Angel Tîlvăr met with US Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec.

They addressed issues related to the security situation in the region, as well as aspects of defense cooperation within the framework of the Romanian-American strategic partnership. The officials also discussed the situation following the recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian river ports near the Romanian border.

"We have taken additional security measures in the border area, strengthening airspace monitoring and protection. As the NATO Secretary General said on Thursday, the Alliance has significantly increased its presence in the Black Sea region. For us, the security of our citizens is of paramount importance, especially those who live in areas where Russia has carried out brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilian ports," said the Romanian Defense Minister.

Ambassador Kavalec said that the US government remains fully committed to consolidating Romania's and NATO's capabilities to defend and deter any aggression against the Allies' common territory on the eastern flank.

According to her, the United States wants to continue to assist Romania in more effectively protecting its national territory, including by deploying several US Air Force combat aircraft to the country to strengthen NATO air control missions.

What happened before

On the night of September 3-4, Russia carried out a massive strike on southern Ukraine with Iranian ‘kamikaze’ drones. According to Ukrainian border guards, some of the drones crashed and exploded on the territory of Romania, a NATO member state. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that there was photographic evidence of the drones crashing in Romania.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry stated that the drone attacks carried out by the Russian Federation did not pose a direct military threat to our national territory or territorial waters.

On September 5, Romanian Prime Minister Klaus Iohannis said that neither Russian drones nor any parts had fallen on Romanian territory.  

OSINT analysts also found that a Russian drone had gone down in Romania near one of the border villages.  

On Wednesday, September 6, Minister Angel Tilvar confirmed that a team from the Ministry of National Defence had found suspected pieces of a Russian drone in Romania.

President Klaus Iohannis said that an investigation should be conducted into the alleged crash of a Russian drone into Romania.

Romania has notified the North Atlantic Alliance of fragments found on its territory that look like a Russian army drone. NATO expressed support and said it was following the developments.

On Friday, September 8, media reported that the Romanian authorities are working to increase security for residents of border settlements near the Odesa region. In response to the Russian threat, the National Emergency Committee decided to create a network of bomb shelters and an air raid warning system.