Germany to send fighter jets to Romania to support NATO -source

FILE PHOTO: A Eurofighter jet accompanies the flight of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an Airbus A400M airforce transport aircraft, on his way to visit the Cologne-Bonn Air Force base, to attend a demonstration of the capabilities of the Territorial Command of the German army Bundeswehr in Wahn a suburb of Cologne, Germany, October 23, 2023. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Source: X80003

Germany will deploy four Eurofighter jets to Romania to support NATO's air policing mission from the end of November, a security source said, weeks after Russian attacks on Ukrainian Danube River ports.

The attacks, just hundreds of metres from the Romanian border, and drone debris found in Romania have increased security risks for the military alliance whose members have a mutual defence commitment.

In September, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called Russian strikes near the border "destabilising" even if there was no indication that Russia intended to hit a NATO member.

The security source said the first of up to 80 German soldiers to be hosted at a military base near Constanta will leave for Romania later on Thursday.

The German air force has supported NATO's air policing mission in Romania in the past. The alliance reinforced its military presence along the eastern flank following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters