Ukraine war spillover: Drone explodes in Romania

Bucharest, June 5 (EFE).- The war in Ukraine spilled over into Romania once again on Friday when a naval drone exploded near the port of Constanța, days after a separate drone incident injured two people in the eastern city of Galați.

The latest explosion occurred near an oil terminal at Romania’s largest Black Sea port, prompting authorities to activate emergency protocols. No casualties or material damage were reported.

Following the blast, which occurred at 10:30 a.m. local time (0830 GMT), authorities evacuated nearly 1,000 people from nearby coastal areas as a precaution and established a one-kilometer security perimeter.

Romania’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the device was a maritime drone used in the war in Ukraine, although it did not initially specify its origin.

The Romanian government later said that, after detecting drifting drones in the Black Sea, it contacted Ukrainian authorities, who confirmed they had lost control of four naval drones operating in the area.

According to Bucharest, three of the drones self-destructed at sea or outside the port zone, while the fourth drifted toward Constanța and eventually exploded after experiencing electronic interference.

«The confirmation of these events came both from the Ukrainian side and from data obtained by the Romanian authorities,» the government said.

European leaders express concern

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for solidarity with Romania, saying the incidents were a direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

«One week after a drone crashed into an apartment building in Galați, a maritime drone today reached the port of Constanța.This is a direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is increasingly becoming a direct threat to countries on our Eastern border.,» von der Leyen wrote on social media.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas echoed those concerns, saying ultimate responsibility lay with Russia.

NATO said it was closely monitoring the situation in coordination with Romanian authorities.

Friday’s incident came just days after a Shahed-type drone struck an apartment building in Galați, near the Ukrainian border, sparking a fire and injuring two people.

The incident was among the first cases in which a drone reached a residential area outside Ukraine since the start of the war in 2022.

The two episodes have heightened concerns in Romania, a NATO member that shares more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) of border with Ukraine and has faced an increasing number of security incidents linked to the conflict.

Romanian authorities have strengthened surveillance along the Black Sea coast and continue to monitor unmanned objects detected in the region.

The use of naval drones has intensified in recent months, particularly by Ukraine, which has employed them against Russian military vessels and oil tankers associated with the so-called «shadow fleet» used by Moscow to circumvent international sanctions on its oil exports.

The explosion in Constanța came shortly after Greece lodged a protest with Ukraine over the discovery in May of an explosive-laden naval drone near the island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea.

According to Greek analysts, the drone appeared to have been intended for an attack on a vessel linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. EFE

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