Two F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters of the Romanian Air Force were scrambled to intercept an unauthorized flight approaching the national airspace on February 24, 2022.
The jets carried out a visual identification of the aircraft, which appeared to be a Sukhoi 27 belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force. The fighter was escorted to the RoAF 95th Air Base in the northeastern Romanian city of Bacău, where it landed.
“After landing, the Ukrainian military pilot made himself available to the Romanian authorities, and the legal measures required in these situations will be taken,” the Romanian Ministry of National Defense reported in a statement. The reason behind this flight is currently unknown.
Earlier in the day, Russia launched a military intervention in Ukraine, with attacks reported all over the country. The Ukrainian airspace was closed for civil aviation. Several civilian airports, including Kyiv-Boryspil International Airport, were attacked.