KYIV/BUCHAREST- Ukraine claimed on Monday that Russian drones had exploded on the territory of NATO member Romania during an overnight airstrike on a Ukrainian port situated across the Danube River. However, Bucharest has firmly denied any impact on its territory.
This incident is a rare case of projectiles from the conflict in Ukraine inadvertently affecting a neighboring member of the Western military alliance. Moscow has been conducting long-range airstrikes on Ukrainian targets since the onset of its invasion, with a particular focus on Ukrainian river ports near Romania since July, following Moscow's abandonment of a deal that had previously eased a de facto Russian blockade on Ukraine's Black Sea ports.
Russian airstrikes occurred just hours before President Vladimir Putin's scheduled discussions with the Black Sea deal's sponsor, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Ukrainian state border guard service reported that during a significant Russian attack near the Izmail port, Iranian-made drones, referred to as 'Shakheds,' fell and exploded on Romanian territory.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko emphasized that this incident underscores the significant threat posed by Russia's missile attacks, not only to Ukraine but also to neighboring countries, including NATO member states.
Nikolenko shared a photo showing flames from an explosion, although Reuters could not immediately confirm the image's vantage point. In response, the Romanian Defence Ministry stated that Romania had not been impacted by the incident.
The Romanian Ministry of Defence issued a firm denial of reports suggesting that Russian drones had fallen on Romanian soil during an overnight incident. They emphasized that there were no direct military threats to Romania's national territory or waters caused by Russia's means of attack.
In Washington, the U.S. State Department acknowledged awareness of the situation but directed inquiries to the Romanian government, while the Pentagon chose not to comment. A resident of the Romanian village of Plauru near Ukraine's Izmail port, Daniela Tanase, mentioned hearing drones and sounds of air defense systems across the river but was unsure about any explosions on the Romanian bank.
Notably, NATO maintains a collective defense commitment, considering an attack on one member as an attack on all. Ukrainian lawmaker Oksana Savchuk speculated that Romania's denial might be an attempt by NATO to prevent an escalation into direct conflict with Russia.
Throughout the war, Ukraine has reported incidents involving suspected Russian weapons flying over or crashing into neighboring countries, including NATO members. One such incident occurred in Poland, where two individuals were killed by a missile near the border last November, later determined to be a misfired Ukrainian air defense missile.
Regarding the recent attack, Ukrainian officials stated that it caused damage to Ukrainian warehouses and resulted in buildings ablaze. This occurred just before a meeting between Erdogan and Putin in Sochi, Russia, with Turkey, also a NATO member, sponsoring the Black Sea grain export deal, which Erdogan aimed to persuade Putin to rejoin.
Russia had exited this deal in July, which had allowed Ukraine to export food safely via the Black Sea during the conflict. The Danube River had since become a critical export route for Ukrainian grain, frequently targeted by Russian airstrikes.
In the early hours of Monday, the Ukrainian border guard service reported that two drones had impacted Romanian territory near Ukraine's Izmail port. Despite relaying this information to Romanian authorities, they received no response.
Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, emphasized the need for increased supplies of modern air defense and long-range weapons to counter Russia's drone and missile capabilities and hasten the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories, stating, "Russia must be defeated on the battlefield."