NATO member scrambles jets after Russian drone attack, as Witkoff meets with Putin

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Fire burns after Russian drone strike on Ukraine

Russia hit pipelines in Ukraine, sparking bright flames and plumes of smoke seen from Romania. (Credit: East2West News)

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Romania was forced to scramble F-16 jets after Russia carried out a strike just half a mile from the NATO nation’s territory.

The country’s Ministry of National Defense (MApN) confirmed in a post on X that Russia carried out a drone attack near its border.

“On the night of August 5-6, the Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on the civilian infrastructure in the Ismail area, Ukraine, in the vicinity of the border with Romania,” Romania’s defense ministry wrote in a post on X.

“The radar systems of the MApN detected air targets in Ukrainian space, close to Tulcea County. At 1:10a.m., the population in the north of the county was warned via RO-Alert,” the ministry added. RO-Alert is Romania’s official emergency warning system.

Flames and plumes of smoke in Ukraine seen from Romania as Russia continues the war.  (East2West news)

NATO JETS SCRAMBLED AMID RUSSIA’S LARGEST DRONE ATTACK ON UKRAINE

The defense ministry stated that two F-16 fighter jets took off “to monitor the national airspace,” but no “unauthorized intrusions” were detected. The ministry said it would carry out checks in the area and keep NATO allies updated in real time.

The drones reportedly struck oil and gas pipelines at the Orlivka plant in Odesa, Ukraine. Bright orange flames and plumes of smoke were visible across the Danube River.

Nearby Lithuania has also suffered from Russia’s war on Ukraine. Drones from Putin ally Belarus crossed into its territory, according to Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys, who said he spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“These repeated incidents represent an alarming sign of the spillover of Russia’s aggression against [Ukraine] onto [NATO territory],” Budrys said of the incident. “We cannot compromise the security of our country and citizens, nor the integrity of NATO airspace. We must remain vigilant, as the threat is real and growing.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow, Russia Aug. 6, 2025.  (Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters)

RUSSIA LAUNCHED ITS LARGEST AERIAL ATTACK OF THE WAR, UKRAINE SAYS

This attack could signal that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not moving closer to reaching a ceasefire deal, despite President Donald Trump’s Friday deadline. It’s unclear whether Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit will push the Russian leader to move toward peace. However, if Moscow fails to make a deal by Friday, the U.S. will impose sanctions on Russia and potentially secondary tariffs.

Trump is reportedly putting pressure on Witkoff’s visit. One person close to the administration told the Financial Times that “if Witkoff comes back empty-handed, with absolutely nothing, Trump is going to go ballistic.”

President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Witkoff reportedly spent about three hours at the Kremlin and, according to Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, the “dialogue will prevail,” Reuters reported.

TRUMP CONFIRMS NUCLEAR SUBMARINES “IN THE REGION” AHEAD OF WITKOFF’S RUSSIA VISIT

Before setting the deadline, Trump reportedly spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about securing a deal that would end the brutal war more than three years after Russia’s invasion. Zelenskyy later confirmed the conversation took place, saying that the “key focus” was ending the war.

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“Today, we coordinated our positions – Ukraine and the United States. We exchanged assessments of the situation: The Russians have intensified the brutality of their attacks. President Trump is fully informed about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

East2West News contributed to this report.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.