Six counties in northeastern Romania, including Iași, Neamț, Vaslui, Botoșani, Bacău, and Suceava, were affected by an airspace security alert. The Romanian outlet HotNews reports that the alert was triggered following the unauthorized entry of two drones into national territory, prompting defense structures to send messages to the local population.

The Ministry of Defense specified that the first warning via the RO-Alert telephone system was issued in Iași County in the late afternoon, followed by similar communications in other neighboring areas. To monitor the situation, the armed forces ordered the scramble of F-16 fighter aircraft from the bases of Câmpia Turzii and Fetești, joined by an IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter.

During the military operation, the airspace over Iași was temporarily closed to civilian flights. This measure forced a passenger flight arriving from Eindhoven to be diverted to Suceava airport. The authorities urged citizens to stay calm, to strictly follow instructions, and to promptly report any fallen fragments to the single emergency number.

The air alert ended in the evening without reports of ground impacts. According to what was reported by Defense Minister Radu Oprea, one of the drones exited national borders while the other was located between Vaslui and Bacău. On the political front, the affair also triggered controversy over the leadership of the Iași prefecture.