How the drone that exploded in Constanța Port went unnoticed. “The army, in such a geopolitical context, is not allowed not to have monitoring radars”
Although the Romanian authorities tried to explain the causes and the chronology of events in the case of the incident on Friday, when a drone exploded in the Port of Constanța, many questions about what happened there remain unanswered.
Many questions related to the Port Constanța incident remain unanswered. IGSU PHOTO
Sources quoted by G4Media and Info Sud-Est claim that the penetration of the drone into the port was possible due to the lack of efficient monitoring systems
“Neither the Ministry of Defense nor the Ministry of Transport have bought high-performance radars to monitor boats passing the breakwater marking the entrance to the port for 4 years, since Russia invaded Ukraine”say the sources
According to them, there were several Ukrainian drones that were allegedly hijacked by Russia, and one of them was directed to the Port of Constanța, arriving near a ship loaded with methanol, a “toxic and flammable liquid”, without being detected in time.
The officials consulted point to deficiencies in the security measures adopted after diplomatic relations with Russia were strained.
“The Romanian authorities did nothing to protect and secure the Port of Constanța as much as possible, they did not even install ordinary human security“, they claim, explaining that this situation allowed the unfettered access of the drone.
The same sources claim that the incident exposes serious security issues, particularly with regard to surveillance systems. According to them, the lack of high-performance radars makes it difficult to detect small boats or those without a significant radar signature.
In this context, the quoted officials state that currently such objects can only be observed visually, “if there is someone at the head of the pier”under conditions where the existing equipment “they are not performing”.
Regarding the reaction of the Ukrainian authorities, the consulted officials state that the notification to the Romanian side would have come late, as initially attempts were made to recover control over the diverted drone. It was only after these attempts failed that the alert was reportedly sent.
At the same time, the officials point out that the reaction of the Romanian authorities also raises questions, especially regarding the length of time the drone remained in the port.
The cited sources also point to gaps in the plan for physical security measures, claiming that sufficient protective actions were not implemented in the port area after the deterioration of diplomatic relations with Russia.
“The army, at such a port and geopolitical context, is not allowed not to have monitoring radars”
Lack of adequate equipment is a major vulnerability.
“We don't have radars of this sensitivity. And the ANR had to be equipped, but the Army must have it too. Such equipment is bought by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Transport (…) The army, at such a port and geopolitical context, is not allowed not to have monitoring radars after a war that has already lasted for four yearsi”, said the officials.
Following the incident, several questions remain officially unanswered, related to how the drone entered the port, the exact moment of detection, communication to the population and the delay in evacuation measures.
We remind you that the drone exploded on Friday, at 10:28 a.m., in Constanța Port, damaging a ship and a nearby building, without causing any casualties. The first official information was communicated only after 11:00, while images captured in the port had already circulated on social networks, fueling panic and misinformation, amid the lack of prompt public communication from the authorities.
