A naval drone exploded today in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta, near an oil terminal, without causing any casualties, while Ukraine accused Russia of interfering with one of its vessels before it strayed into Romanian waters.
The explosion is the second major incident in a populated area of Romania, on NATO's eastern flank, in the past seven days, as the threat of spillover from the war in Ukraine grows.
The Ukrainian Navy said one of its naval drones lost control during a mission in the Black Sea due to Russian electronic warfare and then drifted towards the coast.
They stated that they contacted Romanian authorities to warn them and prevent possible victims.
Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta said authorities managed to evacuate people from the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta before a naval drone exploded on Friday, thanks to a warning from Ukraine.
The explosion came a week after authorities said a Russian drone crashed into a residential building in the southeastern Romanian city of Galați, near the border with Ukraine, injuring two people. It was the first time during the war that a drone had hit a densely populated area in a NATO member state.
After the latest incident, the Russian embassy in Romania said that Russia was not involved and that the drone was not Russian.
Romania's largest port, crucial for Ukraine
The Black Sea is of crucial importance for the transport of grain, oil and petroleum products, and its shores are shared by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Russia.
The port of Constanta is the largest in Romania, with 156 berths and 32 kilometers of coastline for ships to dock. Ukraine uses it as an alternative route for grain exports, as well as for fuel imports.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense said the object self-detonated at 10:30 a.m. local time, about four hours after authorities were alerted to its presence.
The port was evacuated and more than 1.000 people were removed from Black Sea beaches and the nearby Danube Delta as a precaution. Ships and two helicopters were searching the area for additional drones, Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat told a news conference.
The restrictions were lifted later today after no additional threats were detected.
Officials warn of growing threat to EU's east
Romania, a member of the European Union, shares a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine and has witnessed repeated incursions by Russian drones into its airspace since the beginning of the Russian attack on Kiev four years ago, as well as floating mines in the Black Sea along important trade and energy routes.
Earlier this week, the Romanian Navy detonated a Russian YaRM-type anti-landing mine that had drifted onto its Black Sea coast.
Officials from Romania, Ukraine, and the European Union have highlighted the explosion in Constanta as a direct consequence of Russia's war against Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on the X network that the Russian war is increasingly becoming a direct threat to the countries on Europe's eastern border.
"This incident once again shows that Russia's continued aggression poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire region," a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on the X network.
The drone detonated about 500 meters from the oil terminal.
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