Romania deployed F-16 fighter jets in the early hours of 22 November after Russian air strikes hit southern Odesa Oblast near the state border, prompting air raid alerts for settlements along the Danube River, Digi24 reports.

The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed Saturday morning that two F-16 fighters were scrambled overnight between 21 and 22 November to monitor airspace near the Ukrainian border during another Russian aerial attack.

At 1:33 am., air raid sirens sounded in northern settlements of Tulcea County following the detection of Russian strike drones in the area of Izmail, Ukraine.

The ministry emphasized that no violations of Romanian airspace were recorded. The fighter jets returned to Borcea Air Base at 3:42 am.

"We are in permanent contact with our allies, we exchange operational information in real time and we act decisively to guarantee the security of Romania and NATO's eastern flank," the ministry stated.

The Russian shelling damaged the Orlivka border crossing point between Ukraine and Romania, according to reports. Operations at the checkpoint have been suspended until the consequences are addressed.

Earlier this week, during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, one drone flew over Romanian and Moldovan territory.

Poland also scrambled aircraft that day and preemptively closed airports in Rzeszów and Lublin.

On November 17, several Romanian villages along the Danube were evacuated due to a fire on an LPG tanker near the Ukrainian shore following Russian strikes.

Ukraine is in talks with France on the possible supply of Rafale fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on 28 October, Militarnyi reports. The French-made multirole Rafales could become a new component of Ukraine’s air fleet as the country transitions away from its aging Soviet aircraft during the Russian invasion.

Rafales at the core of new negotiations

Responding to an Ukrinform question, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is conducting “three parallel conversations regarding aircraft — with the Swedes, with the French, and with the Americans.” He reminded that the modernization plan for Ukraine’s air force is based on three key fighter platforms — F‑16, Gripen, and Rafale.

Militarnyi notes that back in 2021—a year before Russia's full-scale invasion—French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly planned to propose Rafale jets to Ukraine to replace the Soviet‑era MiG‑29s during his visit to Kyiv. No further details of that initiative were made public, but the topic has now returned to the agenda.

Rafale’s capabilities

The Rafale, produced by Dassault Aviation, is a 4++ generation multirole fighter able to perform all types of combat missions. One of its major advantages is the capacity to use the long‑range Meteor air‑to‑air missile developed by the MBDA consortium. 

Wider air‑fleet strategy

According to Ukrinform, Zelenskyy called the Swedish Gripen attractive for its lower maintenance costs, shorter pilot‑training period, and ability to operate from roads. He added that Ukraine and Sweden agreed to localize Gripen production, describing that step as “a historic agreement.”

Zelenskyy noted that the overall demand for new combat aircraft is around 250 planes, with 150 Gripen fighters already agreed in principle. The ongoing talks with France place Rafales alongside Gripens and F‑16s as one of three cornerstone aircraft in Ukraine’s future air‑power structure.