A naval drone that exploded in Romania's Constanța Port this morning was part of a Ukrainian military operation targeting russian forces, according to official information. Ukrainian authorities stated that the system involved was one of several unmanned combat assets deployed as part of operations linked to the ongoing war with russia.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan reported that Ukraine lost control over the naval drones following electronic warfare actions carried out by russia. These interference measures reportedly disrupted the systems, leading to the drones deviating from their intended operational control.
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The incident in the Port of Constanța was described as a direct consequence of russia's war against Ukraine. One of the drones entered Romanian sovereign waters and later detonated inside the port area. Authorities emphasized that prior warning from Ukrainian counterparts allowed Romanian institutions to evacuate the risk zone in time.
In total, four naval drones were reported to have gone out of control of Ukrainian forces. Romanian authorities confirmed that all of them ultimately self-detonated in separate locations. Alongside the drone that exploded in the Port of Constanța another device detonated under the monitoring of the Romanian Coast Guard just outside the port area.
The remaining two drones exploded approximately 145 kilometers east of Constanța, in the Black Sea region. Officials stressed that despite the scale of the incident, none of the explosions resulted in casualties or significant material damage.
Romanian authorities stated that there is currently no remaining danger to civilians or national infrastructure. Continuous monitoring and coordination among national institutions ensured rapid response measures throughout the incident.
Throughout the day, Romanian agencies remained in constant contact with Ukrainian counterparts, as well as with international partners. The Presidential Administrations of Romania and Ukraine, alongside defense, intelligence, interior, and foreign affairs institutions, maintained operational communication with EU and NATO partners to manage the situation and assess security implications.
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