Romania denies army chief issued any national alert in Facebook posts

Ministry rejects the alert claims

The Ministry of National Defence (MApN) said on Sunday, 25 October 2026, that a series of alarmist posts on Facebook wrongly suggested that General Gheorghiță Vlad, chief of the Defence Staff, had issued a warning about national security. The ministry said he had issued no 'national alert' and that the posts did not reflect any emergency or current military decision. The posts appeared on several Facebook pages on 24 and 25 October 2026, with headlines announcing a national alert and a shock announcement from the top of the army, illustrated with photographs of the general.

“The chief of the Defence Staff did not issue any "national alert", and the flagged posts do not reflect any current official warnings.”

How the posts were built

According to the ministry, the material reused statements and information from earlier interviews or public appearances by the chief of the Defence Staff, presented in a new context without saying when they were made. The ministry said the sensational headlines, the pairing with images of military leadership and the near-identical sharing across several pages could create the impression of a current emergency or of recent military decisions. G4Media reported that a post from the Kanal D news page on 22 October 2026 carried a photo of the general and a 'national alert' headline, with a link in the comments that led to an article on the StirileKanalD.ro site dated January 2026. A second account, RoJ (Romanian Journal), used the same method on 22 October, linking to a pogonul.ro article that, according to G4Media, did not say which statement the general made or when.

Why the content spreads

G4Media said dozens of such Facebook posts aim to draw visitors to pages that run paid advertising, and that the pogonul.ro site runs five advertising systems, including Google AdSense and Google Ad Manager tags. G4Media estimated that a Romanian news site typically earns about 1 to 4 dollars per 1,000 page views, or 0.001 to 0.004 dollars for each page view. The ministry's warning came on the same Sunday that ProTV and Ziare.com carried its statement, and Digi24 reported it that afternoon.

Advice to the public

The ministry urged citizens to check the date and context of any statements attributed to its representatives and to consult official sources before sharing information with alarmist potential. It reminded the public that official information about the Romanian Army, and any situation affecting national security, is communicated only through the ministry's institutional channels. Officials also warned that taking genuine statements out of context can turn accurate information into a misleading message that confuses the public.