On June 28, Romania's Defense Ministry reported a drone detonated at 10:30 a.m. local time at the port of Constanta, near an oil terminal. The incident caused no casualties but prompted an evacuation of the port. Coastal residents were advised to take shelter while helicopters swept the area.
This is the latest incursion along NATO's eastern border, escalating fears that the Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly affecting neighboring states in the Western military alliance. Earlier in the week, the Romanian Navy detonated a Russian anti-amphibious mine that washed up on the Black Sea coast.
Ukraine later confirmed the drone belonged to its navy, losing control due to Russian electronic jamming. The Ukrainian Navy stated that while on mission, the unmanned aerial vehicle was affected by enemy electronic warfare systems and drifted to the Romanian shore.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan described it as "the second security incident this week" on the country's coast. Last weekend, a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in Romania, further stoking worries of a widening conflict since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the incident is a "direct consequence" of the Russia-Ukraine war. She wrote on social media: "This is increasingly becoming a direct threat to eastern border states. Our solidarity with every member state facing these threats is absolute. And the response must match the urgency. Europe is investing heavily in anti-drone capabilities, air defense, and early warning systems."
Romania, which shares 650 kilometers of land border with Ukraine, has reported dozens of airspace violations over four years of war, often blaming Russia, and has requested NATO assistance to bolster its air defense.
The conflict has also spilled over to non-NATO countries. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry reported on June 28 that five citizens were killed and three injured after attacks on two cargo ships belonging to Baku in the Sea of Azov. Ukraine claimed its drones struck five ships at the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk—located between Russia and Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian drone commander Robert Brovdi asserted that these ships were linked to "stealing" Ukrainian grain and transporting military cargo.
