Romania’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday announced the presence of “possible drone fragments” on its territory, following a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian port of Izmail on the Danube, with “a large number of explosions” having been recorded.
On the night of Monday to Tuesday, Romanian authorities “were notified of the impact of an air object on the ground approximately 5 km south of the border” in the northern Tulcea region, the ministry said in a press release. A warning message has been issued to local residents.
“A military team went to the location and reported possible drone fragments,” the ministry added, noting that the area had been secured and a search had been carried out in the morning.
It “happened before”
Regional emergency services said they received a call reporting a possible falling object, and after they arrived, “firefighters determined that impact with the ground did not cause a fire,” according to a press release.
When questioned by Romanian media, President Nicusor Dan deferred, saying it was “unintentional” and “has happened before”.
In October, the European Union condemned “Moscow’s escalation” after a series of violations of European airspace attributed to Russian aircraft. Apart from Romania and Poland which border Ukraine, Estonia, Denmark and Germany also blamed the Kremlin.
From 20 October to 13 November, the NATO brigade increased its maneuvers to validate its ability to quickly build forces in the event of a crisis in Romania.
The United States announced a reduction in its military presence on Europe’s eastern front, including the withdrawal of nearly 700 of the 1,700 American troops deployed in Romania. In September, the Russian ambassador was summoned after drones entered the country.
In February, Bucharest adopted a law allowing the country to shoot down drones that violate its airspace.
