Near‑10‑hour Russian air assault breaches border; RAF Typhoons scrambled

Romania said Russian drones attacking Ukraine overnight on April 24-25 sent debris onto Romanian territory, and two Royal Air Force Typhoons were scrambled in response. (msn.com) (english.mapn.ro) Romania’s Defence Ministry said the aircraft took off from Fetești Air Base at about 2 a.m. after radars tracked drones approaching national airspace during strikes near the Danube border. (newsukraine.rbc.ua) (english.mapn.ro) By Saturday, Romanian authorities reported debris in Galați and near a farm outside Văcăreni, in Tulcea County. Reuters reported the foreign ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador in protest. (msn.com) (agerpres.ro) Romania’s military said the debris damaged an electricity pole and an extension to a residential building. The ministry described the Russian attacks as aimed at civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine near the border. (yahoo.com) (english.mapn.ro) The British jets were already in Romania as part of Operation Biloxi 2026, a four-month Royal Air Force deployment from Borcea Air Base to support NATO air policing on the alliance’s eastern flank. (raf.mod.uk) That mission folds into NATO’s wider Eastern Sentry activity, launched in September 2025 after repeated Russian drone and airspace incidents along the alliance’s eastern border. NATO says the program adds aircraft, helicopters and other air-defense assets. (nato.int) (shape.nato.int) NATO air policing is a standing 24/7 mission, but the alliance says it has reinforced those patrols since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the rise in drone and jet violations near member states. (nato.int 1) (nato.int 2) Romania has dealt with multiple drone-debris incidents since 2023, especially in counties facing Ukrainian ports across the Danube. The April 24-25 attack showed how strikes aimed at Ukraine can spill directly onto NATO territory within hours. (english.mapn.ro) (nato.int) For now, the official line from Bucharest and NATO is that the response remains defensive: track the drones, scramble fighters, investigate debris, and keep patrols over the Black Sea flank on short notice. (english.mapn.ro) (raf.mod.uk)