Construction on Europe’s largest NATO military base has begun in southeast Romania, expanding the 57th Air Base at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport.
Once completed, the base will cover 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) and have a total perimeter of 19 miles (30 kilometers).
The expansion is estimated to cost 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) and will be completed by 2030.
57th Air Base Commander Nicolae Crețu revealed that the facility will include maintenance hangars, fuel stores, canteen facilities, accommodation, and other vital equipment needed to support the operations of a larger base.
The area will be able to host up to 10,000 NATO soldiers and their families, providing supporting facilities such as schools, kindergartens, and a hospital.
The 57th Air Base currently functions as a hub for NATO policing activities by the Black Sea, hosting various inter-allied forces to protect the port country of Constanța from potential Russian attacks.
Russia’s Response
News of the air base development has been received negatively by Russian politicians and other key figures.
Russian Senator and Foreign Affairs Committee Vice President Andrei Klimov said the base represents a “threat to Bucharest.”
“The NATO suicide club drags ordinary civilians into such adventures that can end very badly for their families and children. I’m not trying to scare anyone, I’m just reasoning logically. There won’t be any benefit for Romania from this and there will be more threats, this is a fact,” he said in a discussion reported by local media.
Klimov added that the “closer it is to Russia’s borders, the more likely it is to be among the first targets for retaliatory strikes.”
NATO continues to survey Romania’s eastern flank, employing airborne warning and control system aircraft in its patrols to monitor Russian military activity.
