NATO Scrambles Fighter Jets As Russian Drones Breach Airspace

NATO air forces were scrambled after Russian drones approached alliance airspace during overnight attacks near Ukraine, with one drone briefly entering airspace and triggering security alerts.Two Romanian F‑16 fighter jets took off around 02:00 local time on the morning of Saturday, May 2, from the 86th Air Base in Fetești after Russian drones approached NATO airspace, prompting authorities to issue emergency RO‑Alert warnings in northern Tulcea County, according to Romania's Ministry of National Defense.The incident underscores how Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to spill toward NATO territory, increasing the risk of escalation through miscalculation rather than intent.Residents in northern Tulcea County were placed on alert, while Romanian forces coordinated in real time with NATO allies and raised air‑defense readiness.Why It Matters...Russian drone activity near NATO borders has become a recurring feature of the war, forcing alliance members into repeated defensive responses. Each incident tests NATO’s air policing posture and raises the risk of miscalculation, particularly given that any attack on a member state could, in extreme circumstances, trigger Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, which treats an attack on one ally as an attack on all.What To KnowRomania’s Ministry of National Defense said Russian forces launched overnight drone attacks on