Drone explodes in Romanian port, Ukraine blames Russia

 A sea drone self-destructed near an oil terminal in Romania’s Black Sea port ‌of Constanta on Friday, without causing casualties, as Ukraine said Russia jammed the vessel, causing it to drift off course.

The explosion was the second major incident in a populated area in Romania on NATO’s eastern flank within a week, as the spillover threat from the war in Ukraine increases.

Ukraine’s navy said one of its drones lost control in the ​Black Sea as a result of Russian electronic warfare. It contacted Romania to warn them and prevent casualties, it said.

Romanian Defence Minister Radu ​Miruta said that the warning allowed a timely evacuation.

President Nicusor Dan pinned the blame on Russia and said another ⁠three drones that Ukraine lost control of had also detonated off the coast, and there was no longer any danger.

“The entry ​of this drone into Romanian sovereign space is a direct consequence of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine,” the Romanian leader ​said on social media accounts.

The explosion happened a week after officials reported that a Russian drone had crashed into an apartment building in Galati, a city in southeastern Romania near the Ukrainian border, injuring two people. It marked the first time during the war that a drone hit a densely populated area in a NATO country.

Following the latest incident, Russia’s embassy in Romania said on Friday it was not involved, and the drones were not Russian

The Black Sea plays a key role in transporting grain, oil, and oil products, and is bordered by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia.

The Constanta port is Romania’s largest, with 156 berths and 32 km (19 miles) of quays. Ukraine has been using it as an alternative grain export route, as well as for fuel imports.

Romania’s defence ministry said the drone exploded at 10:30 a.m. (0730 GMT), around four hours after it was alerted to its presence. It detonated 500 metres away from an oil terminal.

The port was evacuated, and over 1,000 people were removed from beaches on ​the Black Sea and the nearby ​Danube Delta as a precaution, ⁠while ships and two helicopters surveyed the area for additional drones, deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat told a briefing.

SOURCE: AP