Romania finds unexploded missile in village near Ukraine border

An unexploded missile was found on Saturday on a farm in southeastern Romania, near the European Union and NATO member's border with Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said, Reuters reported.

Romania shares a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine. Russian drones attacking Ukrainian ports on the Danube have repeatedly violated its airspace, with parts sometimes falling on Romanian territory after being shot down by Ukrainian forces.

The missile, described by the ministry as an unguided rocket, was found in the yard of an uninhabited house in the village of Pardina, in Romania's Tulcea county, the statement said. The ministry did not specify its possible origin.

"Technical checks confirmed the presence of two kilograms of explosives in the body of the missile," the statement said, adding that the area has been secured.

Last month, an explosive drone crashed into a courtyard in the city of Galați, marking the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine that such an incident has caused material damage in Romania.

The leaders of 14 countries on NATO's eastern flank said this week that frequent Russian violations of their airspace indicate an urgent need to strengthen the Alliance's air defenses against missiles and drones.