Was NATO territory hit?
Romania is investigating possible remains of Russian drones
09/06/2023, 5:10 p.m
For Ukraine, the case is clear: a Russian drone hits NATO territory. Romanian representatives initially reacted cautiously and downplayed the incident. However, remains that could belong to a drone are now being examined.
Romania’s army is examining parts that could have come from a drone, discovered on Romanian territory after Russian attacks on Ukrainian Danube ports. This was explained by a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest.
Earlier, Defense Minister Angel Tilvar confirmed the find of the parts near the village of Plaur on the Chilia arm of the Danube, which forms the border with Ukraine. “I confirm that parts that could have come from a drone have been found in this region,” Tilvar told Romanian broadcaster Antena 3 CNN during a visit to Plaur. The Danube village is directly opposite the Ukrainian port of Izmail, which has been attacked by Russia several times in recent days.
On Tuesday, the NATO country’s defense ministry and President Klaus Iohannis denied information from Kiev that Russian drones had fallen on national territory. They were reacting to information from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry that Russian drones had struck Romanian territory.
“Should it be confirmed that these parts came from a Russian drone, it would be a totally unacceptable situation and a gross violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO country,” Iohannis said in Bucharest at the Three Seas Initiative Summit, which includes twelve EU countries between the Baltic States, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure near Romania are “war crimes”. One is on alert and in constant contact with the NATO allies.