Romania finds UAV debris on the Danube River near the Ukrainian border

Romania said on March 29 it had found what appeared to be the wreckage of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on an island in the Danube River that is part of its territory and close to the border with Ukraine, where Russia has frequently carried out attacks on its neighbor's port infrastructure.

“On the evening of March 28, 2024, debris was identified that appeared to come from an aerial device (drone), in an agricultural field on the island of Great Brăila,” the Romanian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The origin of the drone is still unknown. The Romanian Defense Ministry said that authorities have opened an investigation into the incident. Authorities are working to determine the nature of the UAV (suicide UAV or reconnaissance UAV…), its point of origin and any potential impact on national security.

While initial findings suggest a possible malfunction or accident of the UAV whose debris landed on Romanian territory, concerns remain about the involvement of outside actors or unauthorized surveillance activities.

World - Romania finds UAV debris on the Danube River near the Ukrainian border — Ukrainian border guards launch a drone to survey the border with Romania, September 2023. Photo: The Guardian

Russia, which launched a full-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, has frequently attacked Ukrainian ports in the southwest, near the border with NATO member Romania.

This is not the first time that pieces of military equipment have been found outside Ukraine and landed on the territory of EU and NATO member states.

In November 2022, NATO held an emergency meeting after a missile crashed into Poland, killing two locals. But US President Joe Biden later said the missile was unlikely to have been fired by Russia.

In September 2023, a UAV believed to be Russian was found on Romanian soil near the Danube River, angering Romanian officials. Shortly afterward, Bulgaria, also a NATO member, reported finding a suicide UAV on its territory but could not confirm its origin.

As a NATO member, Romania is protected under Article 5 – the most famous clause in the alliance's charter, which states that an attack on one member will be considered an attack on all.

But transatlantic alliance and Romanian officials said after similar incidents in the past that they had found no evidence of any deliberate attack targeting Romania .

Minh Duc (According to Politico EU, Novinite)

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