Romanian Air Force MiG-21 Lancer fighter jet took off at around 19:50 local time on an aerial patrol flight. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft went missing from the radar screen.
An IAR 330 Puma helicopter took off from 57 Air Base for Search and Rescue mission and crashed on a field during this operation. At 21:25 reports were sent that an explosion occurred on the field between Cogeleac and Gura Doborgei Villages.
The Romanian Air Force later announced that 7 militaries aboard the helicopter had been killed in the incident, including two rescuers of the Romanian Naval Forces.
Search and rescue operations of the pilot of MiG 21 LanceR aircraft are still underway.
The news of the two crashes immediately fuelled some crazy theories. Social networks went abuzz with people speculating on the root causes of the incidents and suggesting both aircraft were shot down by the Russian forces operating in the Black Sea region.
Many have called the crashes a new “Gulf of Tonkin” incident. Needless to say, based on the details released by the Romanian authorities so far, these speculations appear to be completely unsubstantiated.
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