A stray Ukrainian naval drone has exploded in the Romanian port of Constanta, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday on X.
The Romanian Defence Ministry said no one was injured or killed when the unmanned naval vessel, which was loaded with explosives, blew up.
According to the Ukrainian spokesman, the drone became uncontrollable as a result of Russian jamming signals and veered off course. The Ukrainian Navy notified its Romanian partners in good time.
Romania, a NATO member, shares a border with Ukraine stretching some 600 kilometres. Together with other NATO countries, it supports its neighbour, which has been defending itself against a major Russian offensive for more than four years.
The authorities in Constanta raised the alarm and ordered the evacuation of the Black Sea port after the maritime drone was discovered. The explosion occurred as the Romanian military was in the process of rendering it harmless, according to a statement from the Defence Ministry.
Property damage to warehouse and ship
Drones of this type are designed to self-destruct if they lose contact with their operator, the Mediafax news agency quoted a military expert as saying. The explosion caused damage to a warehouse and a ship, Adrian Picoiu, the prefect of Constanta County, told Mediafax.
Russian drones have frequently intruded into Romanian airspace in the past.
In the most serious incident to date, one of them crashed into a residential building in Galati, near the Ukrainian border. It caused a fire, and two residents were injured.
