Romania Probes Sea Drone Blast In Constanta Port, Hints At ‘Ukraine War-Type’ Device

A maritime drone exploded Friday in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanța, prompting an investigation by Romanian authorities and competing claims over the device’s origin.

The blast occurred at about 10:30 a.m. near the headquarters of Romania’s Maritime Rescue Agency. No injuries were reported.

Romania’s Ministry of Defense said the type and origin of the drone have not yet been officially established. However, officials noted that the device appeared similar to maritime drones used in the war in Ukraine.

The area surrounding the explosion was secured by Romanian intelligence services, the Coast Guard, and military personnel as investigators examined the scene.

Romanian authorities stressed that the drone did not belong to the country’s armed forces and was not connected to any military exercises being conducted in the Black Sea.

The prosecutor’s office attached to the Constanța Court of Appeal has opened an investigation into the incident.

Russia’s embassy in Bucharest blamed Ukraine for the explosion. In a statement published on Telegram, the embassy said the device was a Ukrainian maritime drone and dismissed suggestions of Russian involvement as “completely unfounded.”

The incident is the latest security concern linked to the war in neighboring Ukraine to affect Romania, a NATO member that shares a border with Ukraine and a coastline on the Black Sea.

Last week, Romanian authorities confirmed that a drone which crashed into a residential building in the eastern city of Galați during a Russian attack on Ukraine was Russian.

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The drone struck an apartment block near the Ukrainian border, causing a fire and explosion. Two residents were treated for panic attacks but suffered no serious injuries.

Romania’s Defense Ministry said the drone had entered the country’s airspace during the attack but could not be intercepted because of the limited time available to detect and track it.

Romanian authorities have repeatedly reported drone incursions and debris falling on their territory since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.