Explosion in Romania: Stray Ukrainian naval drone detonates near Constanța oil terminal

A Ukrainian sea drone exploded Friday (June 5) in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta without causing injuries. The Romanian defence ministry stated the vehicle, which was not part of its military inventory, self-destructed around 10:30 am local time. Ukraine's navy confirmed the vessel was theirs, explaining that Russian electronic warfare systems jammed the device, causing it to lose control and drift toward Romania. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Georgii Tykhyi noted that Kyiv had timely informed Romania about the lost drone, allowing coordination to prevent civilian harm. He emphasised that Russia’s aggression threatens the entire region. Conversely, the Russian embassy in Bucharest called attempts to attribute responsibility to Russia "completely unfounded."

Romanian President Nicusor Dan later revealed that Ukraine reported losing control of four total drones. Besides the one in Constanta, a second self-detonated off the coast under Coast Guard supervision, and two others exploded 145 kilometres east of the port. President Dan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen both called the incident a direct consequence of Russia’s war, with von der Leyen labelling it a growing threat to Eastern border countries.

NATO stated it is monitoring the situation and coordinating closely with Romanian authorities. Locally, officials evacuated over 1,000 people from the coastal area and deployed two helicopters to search for additional devices. Residents and tourists received phone alerts to avoid the coast within a one-kilometre radius. Emergency management chief Raed Arafat described the steps as purely preventive, while President Dan highlighted that advance information about the explosion kept everyone safe.

This event follows an incident a week prior, where a Russian aerial drone—later confirmed by Bucharest as a Geran-2—crashed into an apartment building in Galati near the Ukrainian border, injuring two people. Additionally, another sea drone was found on a Romanian beach earlier in the week. Romania, a EU and NATO member, has reported dozens of airspace breaches since 2022, blaming Russia and requesting that the Atlantic alliance bolster its air defences.