RomaniaMilitary Aviation
RomaniaSpanish F-18s and NH-90s take off after two targets detected near Snake Island
Two fighter jets and two helicopters took off from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base to monitor the air situation. Residents of eastern Tulcea County received a warning through RO-Alert.
On 8 November 2026, two Spanish F-18 fighter jets and two NH-90 helicopters took off from Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base. This followed the successive detection of two aerial targets near Ukraine’s Snake Island in the Black Sea. Romania’s Ministry of National Defence reported the incident, as quoted by BTA and the Romanian news agency News.ro.
Two aerial targets detected near Snake Island
According to the Romanian defence ministry, the first target was in Ukrainian airspace, around 30 kilometres east of Snake Island, when it was detected in the afternoon. Following its detection, the two F-18s on air policing duty took off from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Constanța County.
The National Military Command Centre notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations so that public warning measures could be activated. At 14:02, residents of eastern Tulcea County received a message through RO-Alert.
According to the ministry, the first target subsequently disappeared from radar east of Sulina. The Romanian defence ministry also reported the subsequent radar detection of another target, this time around 55 kilometres west of Snake Island. The two Spanish NH-90s then also took off from the same base.
The air alert ended at 15:26, the Romanian news outlet HotNews.ro reported, citing the ministry.
Aircraft launched to monitor, not shoot down targets
The operation described by the Romanian ministry was intended to monitor the air situation. The official statement refers to “aerial targets” without specifying the type or affiliation of the aircraft detected. The first target’s disappearance from radar does not mean it was shot down or crashed.
The incident involved radar tracking, the launch of allied aircraft and a public warning. The warning is a protective measure and does not in itself prove a violation of Romanian airspace. The two reported positions relative to Snake Island are also insufficient to reconstruct the flight path between them.
Sources
1 independent report3 secondary reports
Independent reporting
Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) · bta.bg
Два изтребителя F-18 и два хеликоптера бяха вдигнати в Румъния след засичане на въздушни цели в района на украинския Змийски островNews agency
Secondary reporting
- News agency
Digi24 · digi24.ro
Drone detectate lângă Insula Șerpilor. Aeronave şi elicoptere ale Forţelor Armate Spaniole, mobilizate. Ro-Alert în jud. TulceaVerified mediaHotNews.ro · hotnews.ro
Drone detectate lângă Insula Șerpilor. Au fost mobilizate aeronave şi elicoptere ale Forţelor armate spaniole. Mesaj Ro-Alert pentru locuitorii din TulceaVerified media
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