A maritime drone similar to those used in the war in Ukraine exploded in Romania's Port of Constanța on Friday morning, June 5, after being discovered near a maritime rescue facility. The authorities said the drone self-detonated after the area had been secured and evacuated, with no injuries reported.

According to Biziday.ro, the explosion was captured by cameras aboard one of the vessels located near the port.

The Ministry of Defense said the unmanned surface vessel was found in the civilian section of Constanța Port, near the headquarters of the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Lives at Sea (ARSVOM). The drone exploded at around 10:30 a.m. while specialists from the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), the Coast Guard, and the Ministry of Defense were assessing and securing the device.

“The maritime drone is of a type used in the war in Ukraine," the ministry said, adding that the vessel does not belong to the Romanian Armed Forces and was not involved in any recent military exercises conducted in the Black Sea area.

Raed Arafat, head of Romania's Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), said the drone was first reported at around 6 a.m. by ARSVOM. Authorities immediately restricted access to the area and later evacuated the zone after determining that the device could explode.

Following the blast, the Red Intervention Plan was activated as a precaution, Euronews Romania reported.

Arafat said two helicopters were deployed to search the coastline and nearby maritime areas due to concerns that additional drones could be present. A SMURD rescue helicopter and a Black Hawk helicopter from Tulcea were tasked with reconnaissance missions along the coast.

The authorities also issued RO-Alert messages in Constanța and Tulcea counties, advising residents to avoid coastal areas within 1 km of the shoreline until the risk assessment is completed.

“The drone self-detonated. […] If there are other drones, we want to avoid another explosion in an area where people are present. That is why we are carrying out a preventive evacuation," Arafat said.

By the time of publication, media reports indicated that additional drones had been discovered in the area. Digi24, for example, said that four more drones were reportedly discovered near the shoreline.

The Ministry of Defense said the situation remains dynamic and that further information will be released as it becomes available.

In a first reaction, president Nicușor Dan said he was informed about the incident while traveling to Montenegro and praised the response of Romanian authorities.

"Law enforcement and security structures acted promptly and evacuated the area as a precaution before the explosion, and so far there are no indications that there were any casualties," Dan said. "The priority was and remains the protection of human lives and the security of port infrastructure."

The president said authorities are analyzing the circumstances under which the drone reached the port, as well as any potential additional risks, adding that the institutions involved will provide updates as the investigation progresses.

Nicușor Dan described the explosion as the second significant security incident on Romania's Black Sea coast this week, following the discovery of a naval mine between the seaside resorts of Vama Veche and 2 Mai, and coming days after a Russian-made drone crashed into a residential building in Galați.

"With a military conflict at our border, it is clear that the security environment in which we live is a sensitive one, which is why we will maintain a high level of vigilance," the president said. "Such particularly serious situations are the direct consequences of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine."

The case is being investigated by prosecutors from the Constanța Court of Appeal Prosecutor's Office.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: screenshot from Digi24 video on Facebook)