Drone Debris from Russian Attacks in Ukraine Found in Romania

The Ministry of National Defense announces that, following field checks, fragments of drones used by the Russian Federation in the attacks carried out on the Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube were discovered. The two drones that crashed on Romanian territory had explosives on board.

A team of specialists from the Ministry of National Defense, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted investigations on Thursday, February 13, in two areas on the national territory, near the Romanian-Ukrainian border, where fragments resulting from the impact of Geran 1/2 drones, used by Russia in the attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube, were discovered, the press release sent by the MApN says.

One drone fell about one kilometer from the Danube, near the border, according to the cited source, which specifies that the fragments of the aircraft were found approximately 5 km west of the town of Reni in Ukraine.

The second impact area on Romanian territory was also discovered in the vicinity of the border, at a point located 500 m from the river bank, at a distance of about 5 km south of the town of Reni, where the remains of a drone were also found.

Following the investigations carried out on site, it was established that both drones had explosive charges on board, which were destroyed upon impact with the ground. Both locations are outside inhabited areas, and no infrastructure elements on the national territory were affected, the Ministry of National Defence states.

The team of investigators collected evidence from the two locations. During the night, the forces of the Russian Federation carried out, unjustifiably and in serious contradiction with the norms of international law, a new attack on Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure targets, near the border with Romania, the cited source emphasizes.

The Ministry of National Defence forces will continue their airspace monitoring and research missions in areas where risks may arise as a result of these situations. The Ministry of National Defence has informed and is informing allied structures in real time about the situations generated by the attacks, remaining in permanent contact with them, the cited press release also states.

“On the night of Wednesday, February 12, towards Thursday, February 13, Russian drone systems carried out a new attack on civilian and infrastructure targets located on the territory of Ukraine, near the border with Romania. As a result of the fact that the monitoring and radar surveillance systems of the Ministry of National Defense signaled air targets that evolved on different flight paths in Ukrainian airspace, in the proximity of the national airspace, the National Military Command Center (nucleus) notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, around 11 p.m., regarding the establishment of measures to alert the population in the border area of ​​Tulcea and Galati counties,” the MApN informed on Thursday morning.

To monitor and supervise the airspace in the area, two F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force and, subsequently, two Eurofighter aircraft of the Spanish Air Force, belonging to the Air Police Combat Service, took off from the 86th Borcea Air Base and the 57th Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, respectively.

“The radar systems of the MApN identified, at around 00:30, an aerial target that briefly crossed the national airspace, near the locality of Reni, at a depth of approximately 1 km inland, subsequently heading towards the Ukrainian airspace. At the same time, a possible impact zone was reported on the national territory, near the Romanian-Ukrainian border, approximately 10 kilometers east of the administrative boundary of the municipality of Galaţi, without any material damage being reported,” the Ministry of National Defense also stated.

At 01.10, the air alert termination signal was transmitted in the two counties, with the combat aircraft subsequently returning to their deployment air bases. According to procedures, on Thursday morning, MApN forces will conduct searches in the reported location, as well as in other areas in the vicinity of the Ukrainian objectives attacked by Russian forces.

“MApN has informed and is informing allied structures in real time about the situations generated by the attacks, remaining in permanent contact with them. The Ministry of National Defense reiterates its firm message of condemnation of these attacks carried out by the Russian Federation against Ukrainian objectives and civilian infrastructure elements, which are unjustified and in serious contradiction with the norms of international law,” the MApN also transmitted.