Romania calls for 'urgent investigation' into suspected drone debris near Ukraine

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday (September 6) appealed for an "urgent investigation" into debris, which is suspected to be the remains of a drone, that was found on its soil after attacks in neighbouring Ukraine.

The revelation was made after Romania continuously rejected claims made by Kyiv that Iranian-made Russian drones were detonated on Romanian territory amid a strike on the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

"Investigators discovered elements resembling drone debris in the evening of 5 September," said the defence ministry, in a press release. The debris was found near Plauru, a village in Romania on the other side of the Danube. It added that experts will now carry out a technical analysis to "determine (the debris') origin and characteristics".

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President Iohannis after stating that no debris or drone was found on its soil earlier this week, appeared to row back and call for "an urgent and professional investigation".

"If it is confirmed that these elements belonged to a Russian drone, such a situation would be completely inadmissible and a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO ally," he stated, before the start of the Three Seas Initiative summit which was hosted by Bucharest.

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NATO expresses 'solidarity' with Romania

Iohannis stated the NATO Secretary General and NATO allies of Bucharest were informed about the new development through the ambassador.

The Alliance allies "expressed strong solidarity with Romania" at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, stated NATO spokesman Dylan White, in a statement sent to AFP.

"We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our Ally Romania,” he said. As per NATO treaty, member states carry the obligation of mutual defence.

Opposition leader of the centre-right party USR Catalin Drula accused Romania of trying to cover things up. "They lied for two days. Ukraine told the truth. Their instinct is to sweep it under the rug," he said on Facebook.

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The attacks by Russia on Ukraine's Danube infrastructure have been strongly condemned by Bucharest. One person died in fresh Russian drone attacks carried out on Wednesday over a port district in Ukraine's southwestern Odesa.

"People are panicking a bit. There are only 370 metres between our borders," said the mayor of the Romanian border village Chilia Veche Timur Cius, while speaking to AFP.

"We heard everything, of course. By now we are already used to the sound of sirens and whatnot. But we feel safe here because we are in a NATO country," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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