On Friday morning, June 5, around 10:28, a powerful explosion occurred near the quay in the port of Constanta. On the same morning, a marine drone was found there – writes Libertatea (Onet partner). Sources in the Romanian Ministry of National Defense cited by Libertatea claim that the drone is of Ukrainian origin. The prefect of Constanta also pointed out this possibility.
The Russian Embassy in Romania also stated that the drone came from Ukraine.
The authorities have increased the security level to the maximum and closed access to the port of Constanta North and South, allowing only the evacuation of people and vehicles already in the port area.
Access to the port is completely suspended for all persons, vehicles and means of transport. Only persons and vehicles already present there may leave the port area. The president commented on the drone explosion – the situation remains extremely tense, also due to the recent events in Romania.
Nicusor Dan's reaction to the maritime drone explosion in the port of Constanta was immediate. The President of Romania was informed of this event while he was on his way to Montenegro.
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“Law enforcement and security structures reacted quickly and evacuated the area before the explosion. For now, there is no indication that there were any casualties. The priority was and remains the protection of human life and the safety of the port infrastructure. An analysis of the circumstances in which the drone found itself in the port and possible additional threats is ongoing, and the directly responsible authorities will provide information as the investigation progresses,” Nicusor Dan said.
Nicușor Dan stressed that this is the second major security incident reported on the Romanian coast this week, following the discovery of a sea mine. A week earlier, a drone crashed in Galacz.
“In the face of the armed conflict on the border, it is obvious that the security situation we find ourselves in is delicate, which is why we will maintain a high level of vigilance. Such particularly serious situations are direct consequences of the invasion launched by Russia against Ukraine. As a NATO member state with access to the Black Sea, we will continue to cooperate closely with our allies and take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and national interests,” added Nicusor Dan.
The head of Romania's Emergency Situations Department, Raed Arafat, said on Friday that a maritime drone discovered in the port of Constanta detonated itself at 10:28, without causing any casualties. The area had already been secured and evacuated by the authorities.
“We don't panic”
According to Raed Arafat, the authorities were notified around 6 a.m. by the Romanian Agency for the Saving of Human Life at Sea about the presence of a maritime drone in the port area. Subsequently, access to the area was restricted, and after suspicions arose that the drone might explode, a decision was made to preventively evacuate the area.
“We are not panicking. Our actions are purely preventive. If there are other drones there, we do not want another explosion to occur in a place where people are present. That is why we are carrying out a preventive evacuation,” Raed Arafat said.
In order to control the situation, among others, approximately 80 officers of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU) from Constanta, eight fire trucks and 10 ambulances.
At the same time, a helicopter and a Black Hawk helicopter were sent on reconnaissance missions in the coastal zone and in the Black Sea, up to a distance of 10-12 nautical miles (18.5-22 km).
The head of the DSU noted that the authorities are checking the possibility of the existence of other maritime drones, which is why RO-Alert messages were sent in the districts of Constanta and Tulcea.
“We know that this drone can explode on its own. There is a risk that the same could happen to other drones. Once we are sure that the situation is safe, we will inform the population that it can approach the coastal zone. There is a suspicion that there may be other drones as well. If there was one, there may be others. The suspicion is justified. We don't know if there were more drones. The helicopter was sent to check the coast,” Arafat explained.
Due to security measures, the port of Constanta has been closed and placed under the highest security level, and only authorized services have access to it.
A RO-Alert message was sent to residents [odpowiednik polskiego Alertu RCB]and authorities called for the evacuation of the area within a one-kilometer radius around the affected sector and for protective measures to be respected. People were advised to “take shelter in basements or civil defense shelters.”
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