New drone fragments comparable to those used by the Russian military have been discovered on Romanian territory.
This is the second drone accident in Romania in the same week, prompting President Klaus Iohannis to declare that this is an unacceptable violation of Romania’s airspace.
Incursions in Romanian Airspace: Drones Raise Security Concerns
President Iohannis immediately informed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of the latest discovery.
In response, Stoltenberg reaffirmed NATO’s unwavering solidarity with Romania in light of these security lapses, according to these security breaches.
“The identification by Romanian authorities on Romanian territory near the border with Ukraine of new drone fragments… indicates an unacceptable breach of the airspace of Romania, a NATO state, with real risks to the safety of Romanian citizens in the area,” Iohannis stated. He added, “I firmly condemn this incident caused by Russian attacks on Ukrainian Danube river ports.”
These assaults on Ukraine’s river ports, located a stone’s throw from the Romanian border, have increased NATO’s security risks.
The alliance’s members are committed to mutual defense, so any security lapse in the region is cause for concern.
Stoltenberg weighed in on the situation, describing Russian strikes near the frontier as “destabilizing” despite the absence of immediate evidence that Russia intended to target a NATO member.
In a message posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), he voiced his support for the United States’ decision to deploy F-16 aircraft to bolster air policing efforts.
The US State Department announced plans earlier this week to rotate additional US F-16 fighter aircraft to Romania to bolster NATO’s air policing mission there.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense reported that the country’s Naval Forces dispatched search teams after receiving information from local authorities about possible drone fragments located 2.5 kilometers southeast of the village of Plauru, across the Danube from the Ukrainian port of Izmail.
The military has secured the area and will now analyze the fragments.
Read more: US Supplies Ukraine With Ammunition Capable Of Defeating Russian Tanks And Igniting Within
Ukraine’s Grain Export Dilemma
Since July, Russia has launched a series of attacks on Ukrainian river terminals near the Danube River, directly across from Romania.
This is due to Moscow’s decision to abandon an agreement that had previously loosened its de facto blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
Notably, Ukraine is a significant exporter of grain on a global scale, and the Romanian port of Constanta on the Black Sea has emerged as a crucial alternative export route for Ukrainian grain.
Grain travels to Constanta by barge, rail, or road over the Danube. Ukraine reported earlier this week that drones detonated in Romania during a Russian airstrike on Izmail, Ukraine.
Before discovering the drone fragments on Wednesday, Romanian officials initially denied these rumors, heightening regional security concerns.
Read more: Texas Told To Relocate Rio Grande Barriers Following US Judge’s Ruling Favoring Biden
