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It will be months, at least, before F-16s are flying over Ukraine, but the US is expanding patrol flights by the fighter jet right up to the Ukrainian border after debris following a Russian drone attack appeared to have fallen into neighbouring Romania this week.
After a diplomatic mission to Kyiv, secretary of state Antony Blinken said the US would send additional rotations of its F-16s to a Nato mission to secure the airspace of Romania, a member of the military alliance.
The new commitment was announced after a call that Blinken had on Thursday with Romania’s foreign minister, Luminita Odobescu, to discuss air space security amid an investigation by the government in Bucharest into the origins of the debris. Blinken “affirmed our unwavering support to Romania, our Nato ally”, according to a state department summary of the call. It was not clear how many more F-16s – which already participate in Nato patrols over Eastern Europe – would be added to the continuing patrols over Romania, or when they would start.
Late on Tuesday, Romanian officials said that debris suspected to be from a Russian drone was found in Romanian territory across the Danube River from the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Russian drones have struck the port city repeatedly in recent weeks as Moscow targets what has been a shipping lifeline for Ukraine. It remains unclear how the debris got there, including whether it had landed by accident.
Romania president, Klaus Iohannis, has warned that if the wreckage turns out to be from a Russian weapon, it would amount to “a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a Nato allied state.” But so far, Romania has stopped short of any sign that it might invoke Article 5 of the Nato treaty, the cornerstone of the group’s mutual defence pact, that could expand the war.
Throughout the war, Nato aircraft have frequently intercepted Russian jets that have flown too close to allied nations’ airspace. Three weeks ago, UK and Danish jets were scrambled to confront Russian bombers that were heading toward Scotland and the Netherlands. The Russian planes turned back without incident.
After a diplomatic mission to Kyiv, secretary of state Antony Blinken said the US would send additional rotations of its F-16s to a Nato mission to secure the airspace of Romania, a member of the military alliance.
The new commitment was announced after a call that Blinken had on Thursday with Romania’s foreign minister, Luminita Odobescu, to discuss air space security amid an investigation by the government in Bucharest into the origins of the debris. Blinken “affirmed our unwavering support to Romania, our Nato ally”, according to a state department summary of the call. It was not clear how many more F-16s – which already participate in Nato patrols over Eastern Europe – would be added to the continuing patrols over Romania, or when they would start.
Late on Tuesday, Romanian officials said that debris suspected to be from a Russian drone was found in Romanian territory across the Danube River from the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Russian drones have struck the port city repeatedly in recent weeks as Moscow targets what has been a shipping lifeline for Ukraine. It remains unclear how the debris got there, including whether it had landed by accident.
Romania president, Klaus Iohannis, has warned that if the wreckage turns out to be from a Russian weapon, it would amount to “a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a Nato allied state.” But so far, Romania has stopped short of any sign that it might invoke Article 5 of the Nato treaty, the cornerstone of the group’s mutual defence pact, that could expand the war.
Throughout the war, Nato aircraft have frequently intercepted Russian jets that have flown too close to allied nations’ airspace. Three weeks ago, UK and Danish jets were scrambled to confront Russian bombers that were heading toward Scotland and the Netherlands. The Russian planes turned back without incident.
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