NATO issues a caution to the German Eurofighter fighters stationed in Romania
In a significant development, Russian air strikes occurred on the border region of Ukraine and Romania on Wednesday night. This marks the first quick reaction alert of a new NATO mission, Enhanced Air Policing South, which began this month and is scheduled to last until March 2026.
The German Air Force is currently participating in this mission, with five Eurofighters and around 170 soldiers on duty. The German Eurofighters took off in response to Russian weapons systems approaching Romanian airspace.
The incident at the Romanian military airport Mihail Kogălniceanu near Constanța saw the aircraft safely landing without incident after the air strikes. NATO scrambled two German Eurofighters to respond to the situation.
The mission aims to secure the southeastern flank of the alliance, providing assistance to NATO partners with military capabilities they may not have sufficiently on their own. Several NATO countries are taking turns providing support for this mission, with the German Air Force officer responsible for the mission not being explicitly named in the available search results.
The Russian air strikes did not violate NATO airspace, but they have raised concerns about potential escalation in the region. The German military spokesman provided information about the incident to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
It is worth noting that the German combat aircraft are part of an alert rotation, ready to take off around the clock. This deployment is part of NATO's ongoing efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region.
This is not the first time that such incidents have occurred, but they underscore the importance of NATO's presence and commitment to collective defence. As the situation continues to evolve, it is expected that NATO will continue to monitor the situation closely and respond as necessary to ensure the security of its members and partners.
