Ukrainian Su-27 that landed in Romania returns to Ukraine

ByClément Charpentreau
Defense a_ukrainian_su-27_flanker_fighter-3.jpg
Karolis Kavolelis/Shutterstock.com

The Ukrainian Su-27 fighter that landed in Romania on the first day of the Russian invasion flies back to Ukraine. 

On February 24, 2022, hours after Russia launched the military invasion of Ukraine, two F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters of the Romanian Air Force intercepted an unauthorized flight approaching the national airspace. The fighter was escorted to the RoAF 95th Air Base in the northeastern Romanian city of Bacău, where it landed. 

On March 1, 2022, the Su-27 was sent back to Ukraine. 

“At the request of the Ukrainian authorities, the Sukhoi 27 military plane belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force left Romania’s airspace today, […] in compliance with national and international legislation,” the Romanian Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. “The Sukhoi 27 aircraft, without ammunition on board, was escorted by two Mig-21 Lancer fighter aircraft of the Romanian Air Force to the edge of the national airspace, from where it was taken over by the aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.” 

The Ministry did not specify whether the pilot on board was the one that originally flew the aircraft into Romania. 

On February 27, 2022, the European Union announced its intention to provide military aid to Ukraine. “We are going to supply arms and even fighter jets,” Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU said in a press conference. “We are not talking about just ammunition. We are providing the most important arms to go to war.” 

The next day, information emerged that Ukraine would be given combat aircraft from EU state members still operating the same Soviet-era fighters that the Ukrainian Air Force operates. 

The Ukrainian Parliament reported that a donation of 28 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters from Poland, 12 from Slovakia, and 16 from Bulgaria was made, along with 14 Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack aircraft.  

But the bold scheme eventually faded as, one after the other, the three countries denied such plans. 

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