NATO chief charges Russia with violation of Romanian airspace

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte charged Russia with violating Romanian airspace on Friday after a meeting of the alliance's defence ministers in Brussels.

Rutte expressed full solidarity for Romania and commended the Romanian Air Force and NATO's top military commander for their "quick and effective response" to the incident on Thursday.

NATO defence ministers were meeting in Brussels to assess their new defence plans set up in the wake of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Air and missile defence remains a priority for NATO, Rutte said, as Russia's war against Ukraine "has resulted in multiple NATO airspace violations" just like in Romania.

NATO "will continue to increase surveillance, exchange information, and coordinate individual and collective responses," Rutte said.

According to reports from Romania, two Spanish F-18 fighter jets from NATO air surveillance had already been alerted to check the situation before the missile crossed the border.

The Romanian Air Force also sent two F-16 aircraft. However, according to reports, the pilots did not have to intervene.

People in the region had to take cover in cellars or shelters due to the air alert. The flying object penetrated around 14 kilometres into Romanian airspace.