Ukrainian naval drone explodes in Romania port – first such incident on NATO territory

A Ukrainian naval drone exploded on Friday morning in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanța without causing casualties, officials said, with Kyiv blaming Russian electronic warfare systems for diverting the device from its intended course.

This is the first known case of a marine/naval drone exploding on or directly striking infrastructure in a NATO country’s Black Sea territory.

Romania’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that the drone was “of a type used in the war in Ukraine” and was not part of the Romanian military’s inventory. The ministry said the device “self-destructed at around 10:30 local time without causing casualties”.

Ukraine separately confirmed that the vessel was one of its naval drones and that control had been lost after it was affected by “the enemy’s electronic warfare systems”.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Kyiv had “promptly informed the Romanian side” about the incident and that effective coordination had prevented harm to civilians.

“This incident once again demonstrates that Russia’s ongoing full-scale aggression poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire region,” Tykhyi said.

The Russian Embassy in Bucharest rejected responsibility, stating on Telegram that attempts to link the drone incident to Russia were “completely unfounded”.

Romanian authorities evacuated the coastal area, affecting more than 1,000 people, and deployed two helicopters to conduct search operations. Residents and tourists received emergency mobile alerts advising them to avoid a one-kilometre exclusion zone.

“Our measures at this stage are purely precautionary,” said Raed Arafat, head of Romania’s emergency management authority.

NATO said it was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Romanian authorities.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan, speaking from Montenegro during an EU summit, described the event as a “significant security incident” and “a direct consequence of the war of aggression launched by Russia”. He admitted that naval drones were “a new subject” for him personally, and that he would meet with responsible defence institutions on Saturday to better understand the issue.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also warned that the war was “increasingly becoming a direct threat to countries on our eastern border”.

Ukrainian naval drones have proven highly effective in the Black Sea, contributing to the destruction or serious damage of approximately 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet by early 2026 – forcing the fleet to retreat from Crimea to Novorossiysk and significantly reducing its operational capability.

The Constanța incident came one week after a Russian-made Geran-2 drone crashed in the city of Galați on 29 May, injuring a woman and her underage son. Earlier this week, another naval drone was discovered on a beach along Romania’s Black Sea coast.

Russian drone strikes residential building in Romania’s Galați, injuring two in major airspace breach

Shortly after the Constanța incident, four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the Italian Air Force arrived in Romania to take part in an enhanced NATO air policing mission, according to the Romanian Ministry of Defence.

The aircraft landed on Wednesday at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Constanța County. They were accompanied by a contingent of around 180 military personnel, including pilots and technical staff.

Over the next two months, the Italian detachment will carry out joint operations with the Romanian Air Force as part of NATO’s enhanced air policing mission. The deployment forms part of the Alliance’s broader efforts to reinforce security along its eastern flank and ensure a rapid response to any potential airspace violations.

Romania, a member of both the European Union and NATO, has recorded dozens of airspace violations since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has repeatedly called for stronger Allied air-defence capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank.

The drone crash renewed concerns in Bucharest over the security risks posed by Russia’s continuing attacks near NATO’s eastern border. Romanian officials have repeatedly warned that debris and unmanned aerial vehicles involved in strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure along the Danube could endanger civilians on Romanian territory. Following the incident, Romania reiterated calls for stronger Allied air-defence measures and enhanced surveillance capabilities along the Black Sea coast and the border with Ukraine.