NATO has moved several AWACS reconnaissance aircraft from Germany to Romania. Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar announced on Facebook that the planes are based at the Otopeni base near Bucharest. “Romania and its allies are safe,” Tilvar commented.
The AWACS will support the increased NATO presence in the region and will be used to monitor Russia’s activities related to the invasion of Ukraine, the Atlantic Alliance Aviation Command had previously announced. 185 NATO soldiers were deployed for this mission.
The Awacs will remain in Otopeni, 200 km from the Ukrainian border, for several weeks. “As Ukraine’s illegal war continues to threaten the peace and security of Europe, NATO’s determination to protect every inch of allied territory can be unquestioned,” NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said. Neither Bucharest nor NATO have provided any information on how many AWACS are stationed in Romania. According to military sources, it would be three.