The Romanian authorities are investigating the explosion of a maritime drone that occurred this Friday, June 5, in the port of Constanta, on the Black Sea, with no casualties reported. Ukraine confirmed that the device belonged to it and assured that it was diverted from its route by Russian electronic warfare systems before reaching Romanian waters.
First modification: 06/05/2026 - 15:32 Last modification: 06/05/2026 - 15:39
A Ukrainian naval drone exploded this Friday, June 5, in the Romanian port of Constanta, on the Black Sea coast, after having lost control as a result of Russian electronic interference, according to the Ukrainian Navy. The incident, which left no victims or injuries, is under investigation by Romanian authorities.
According to a statement from the Ukrainian Navy, the unmanned aircraft was carrying out an operational mission in the Black Sea when it was affected by Russian electronic warfare systems, which caused the vessel to lose control.
"While carrying out missions in the Black Sea operational zone, one of the unmanned surface ships of the Ukrainian Navy fell under the influence of the enemy's electronic warfare systems, lost control and ended up near the coast of Romania," the military institution said.
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kyiv also indicated that it informed the Romanian authorities in advance about the situation to minimize risks and avoid possible victims.
The explosion occurred in the port of Constanta, Romania's main maritime terminal on the Black Sea. After the incident, the area was cordoned off by coast guard troops, military units and intelligence services, while specialists inspected the remains of the device.
Before the Ukrainian confirmation, the Romanian authorities had indicated that the device had similarities with the maritime drones used in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, although they avoided attributing a specific origin to it until the investigations were concluded.
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Russia blames Ukraine for the detonation
The Prosecutor's Office attached to the Court of Appeal of Constance opened a case to clarify the circumstances of the explosion and determine responsibilities.
For its part, the Russian Embassy in Bucharest immediately blamed Ukraine. In a message broadcast through Telegram, the diplomatic representation maintained that the device was a Ukrainian naval drone and described insinuations about possible Russian involvement in the incident as “completely unfounded.”
The episode joins a series of incidents related to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, launched by Vladimir Putin more than four years ago, that have affected Romanian territory since the start of the large-scale war. NATO member Romania shares a long border with Ukraine and has a strategic position in the Black Sea.
Last week, Bucharest authorities confirmed that a drone of Russian origin had crashed into a residential building in the eastern city of Galați during an attack launched by Moscow against Ukrainian territory. The impact caused a fire and an explosion, although no serious injuries were caused; two residents received medical attention for panic attacks.
According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, the device had entered national airspace during the offensive, but could not be intercepted due to the limited time available to detect it and follow its trajectory.
Since the beginning of the war, Bucharest has repeatedly denounced drone incursions and the fall of remains of devices linked to the conflict in different areas of its territory, especially in regions close to the border with Ukraine and the Black Sea routes.
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With Reuters and local media
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