Sea drone explodes off Romanian port city of Constanța – further drones discovered on the coast

The area around the explosion site has since been cordoned off, and the responsible authorities have "secured the location." Two helicopters were observed flying over the site to search for further drones. Residents have been urged to "avoid the coastal region within a one-kilometer radius" until an all-clear is given.

Following the explosion, three unmanned boats were discovered along the Romanian coast, according to information from the broadcaster Digi24, which cited a person familiar with the matter. Romanian President Nicusor Dan also pointed out on the online service X that a naval mine had been found on the Romanian coast.

Reactions from the EU and Russia

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for full solidarity with Romania on the occasion of the incident. The drones in Romania are "a direct consequence of the Russian war against Ukraine," she stated. Drones of this type are becoming "an ever-increasing threat to the countries on the EU's eastern border." Romanian President Nicusor Dan also stated that such particularly serious cases are direct consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. On Sunday, Romanian President Nicusor Dan had declared that the drone was of Russian manufacture.

Russian head of state Vladimir Putin had expressed doubts about this. Russia does not threaten European nations, he said. The Russian Embassy in Romania also commented: "These are unmanned Ukrainian watercraft." The embassy further stated: "Any attempt to link these drones directly or indirectly to Russia and to attribute responsibility for the incident to Russia is completely unfounded."

Drone Strike in Galați as Precedent

The incident in Constanța is not the first of its kind in the EU and NATO member state Romania. Just last week, a drone crashed into a residential building in Galați, Romania, near the border with Ukraine. Two people were injured in that incident. According to Romanian reports, the drone was of Russian manufacture. Moscow had cast doubt on these claims. According to Bucharest, a 14-year-old and a 53-year-old woman were injured in the impact, which triggered a fire. In the Romanian interpretation, this was the first drone strike on a residential building outside Ukraine since the start of the Russian war of aggression in 2022.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine war in February 2022, numerous intruding drones have been discovered in the EU and NATO member state Romania. Ukraine and Romania share a border approximately 650 kilometers long. According to the EU Commission's assessment, the background to these incidents is the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, during which drones and sea drones are used extensively.