Tulcea: RO-Alert in the eastern part of the county, after a drone was detected 30 km from Sulina

A drone was detected on Monday, November 9, 2026, in Ukraine's airspace, approximately 30 kilometers from Sulina, and two Romanian F-16 aircraft were scrambled. The incident took place on the same day that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was in Bucharest for discussions about the security of the Black Sea.

Residents of eastern Tulcea County received a RO-Alert message at 5:19 p.m. According to the Ministry of National Defence, the F-16 aircraft were on Air Policing duty and were mobilized after the target was detected near the border.

The National Military Command Center informed the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, which sent the warning to the population. No incursions by the drone into Romanian airspace were reported.

The alert came after Ursula von der Leyen's discussions with President Nicușor Dan about threats in the region. The President of the European Commission stated that Romania is on the front line of European security and announced 50 million euros for the development of the maritime security hub in the Black Sea. The project, carried out by Romania and Bulgaria with European support, will enable the monitoring of threats and the rapid exchange of information.