[3] In 1877, during the Romanian War of Independence, according to a Russian-Romanian treaty signed in April that year, Rândunica served under joint Romanian-Russian command.

Rândunica was returned to full Romanian control in 1878, after the Russian ground forces had finished crossing the Danube.

[7] On 27 August 1916, just after Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary, Rândunica attacked the Austro-Hungarian Danube Flotilla stationed in the Bulgarian port of Ruse.

In the evening of 27 August, she launched her two torpedoes at one of the Austro-Hungarian monitors, but only one barge loaded with fuel was struck, which exploded and sank.

The Austro-Hungarian warships subsequently retreated 130 km West along the Danube, stopping at Belene and taking extensive defensive measures.