Russian Embassy disputes responsibility for Constanța Port drone explosion, points to Ukraine

The Russian Embassy in Bucharest claimed that the maritime drone that exploded in Romania's Port of Constanțaon Friday, June 5, was of Ukrainian origin, rejecting any suggestion of Russian involvement in the incident. The statement came as Romanian authorities continued investigating the explosion, and reports emerged of additional drones drifting near Romanian territorial waters.

In a statement published on Facebook, the Russian Embassy said the drone that self-detonated in Constanța Port, as well as several similar drones reportedly discovered in the Black Sea, were Ukrainian unmanned maritime vehicles.

“Given the intentionally incomplete information disseminated by Romania's Ministry of National Defense regarding the maritime drone that exploded in the Port of Constanța, as well as three other similar drones drifting toward Romanian territorial waters, the Russian Embassy in Romania wishes to inform the Romanian public that these are Ukrainian unmanned maritime vehicles, used by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist acts against civilian vessels and to create threats to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea,” reads the Russian Embassy’s statement.

“Any attempts to associate these drones, directly or indirectly, with Russia and to attribute responsibility for this incident to it are entirely unfounded,” it added.

The statement followed the incident earlier on Friday when a maritime drone exploded in the civilian section of Constanța Port after authorities secured and evacuated the area. No casualties were reported.

Romania's Ministry of Defense said the vessel was a type of maritime drone used in the war in Ukraine, while stressing that it did not belong to the Romanian Armed Forces and was not connected to recent military exercises in the Black Sea region.

Constanța Prefect Adrian Picoiu told News.ro that preliminary information suggested the drone could be of Ukrainian origin, although he emphasized that further verification was needed.

The incident also drew reactions from European officials. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen expressed solidarity with Romania, linking the event to the broader security risks created by the war in Ukraine.

“Solidaritate cu România! One week after a drone crashed into an apartment building in Galați, a maritime drone today reached the port of Constanța. This is a direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is increasingly becoming a direct threat to countries on our Eastern border. Our solidarity with every Member State exposed to these threats is absolute. And our response must match the urgency,” reads the post on X.