The entire Port of Constanța was evacuated on Friday, June 5th—with the ‘Red Intervention Plan’ activated at 10:29 local time—after a marine drone exploded in berth 78 of the Black Sea coastal facility.
No casualties were reported. After the suspect device was first detected in nearby waters the area, which has 32 km of quays, was secured and isolated by the combined actions of the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Coast Guard, and the Ministry of National Defense (MApN). The latter reported:
The maritime drone is of the type used in the war in Ukraine. We would like to clarify that the object is not part of the Romanian Army’s equipment and was not involved in the recent exercises organized by the MApN in the Black Sea area.
Images secured prior to the blast show an object similar to the “Măgura” drones used by Ukraine. Romanian president Nicușor Dan called this
the second significant security incident this week on the Romanian coast, after the discovery of a mine between Vama Veche and 2 Mai.
Previously, Dan was forced to respond after a Russian UAV crashed into a residential building in Galați. The weapon in question was hit by Ukrainian air defenses over the city of Reni, causing it to veer off course into Romanian territory.
