Poor-quality kerosene grounds several RO army MiG-21s

Several MiG-21 fighter jets used by the Romanian army to patrol its airspace were damaged after suppliers switched premium fuel for poor-quality kerosene.

Prosecutors part of the Ploiești Court of Appeal followed the sale of the faulty kerosene to the businessman Cristian Berendel. Back in 2018, Berendel and the Ministry of Defense signed a deal by which the former would supply the latter with jet fuel for four years.

The first shipments of fuel were up to standard, consisting of premium kerosene. The following ones, however, were of cheap, poor-quality fuel from Greece and Turkey, according to Gandul.

Over time, five fighter jets that had received the fuel started to show signs of malfunction. Their fuel pumps in particular alerted aviation specialists and technicians that the kerosene was not up to standard.

The damages to the planes total RON 30 mln (EUR 6 mln). Moreover, because the fighter jets were temporarily unable to fly, Romania was put in the position of not being able to fulfill its obligations toward NATO, namely defending its own airspace. The planes in question had to receive repairs at Aerostar Bacău.

(Photo source: Gutescu Eduard | Dreamstime.com)