Drone detonates near oil terminal in Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta

A marine drone self-detonated Friday in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta, near an oil terminal, the defense ministry reported. No casualties occurred. Authorities evacuated the port and alerted residents along the coast to take cover. Two helicopters surveyed the area for additional drones.

Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat stated, "We now know there is the risk of self-detonation, we have... evacuated in case there are more drones." He added, "We are not panicking; the measures are purely preventative."

The explosion occurred a week after a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in Galati, near Ukraine's border, injuring two people. This marked the first time a drone strike hit a densely populated area in a NATO state during the Russia-Ukraine war.

Romania, a NATO and EU member, shares a long border with Ukraine. The defense ministry has reported 28 incursions by Russian drones into its airspace since Moscow began attacking Ukrainian ports on the Danube River. Ukrainian drone fragments have also landed on Romanian territory.

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We now know there is the risk of self-detonation, we have... evacuated in case there are more drones. We are not panicking; the measures are purely preventative.