A Ukrainian sea drone exploded roughly 500 metres from an oil terminal in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanța on the morning of 5 June 2026, after Russian electronic warfare severed its control link. Romania's defence ministry said the unmanned vessel self-destructed and belonged to a type used in the Ukraine war. No casualties or material damage were reported.

How the drone reached NATO territory

Ukraine's navy stated that one of its unmanned boats lost steering "as a result of enemy electronic warfare" and drifted to the Romanian coast. The Ukrainian side said it immediately passed information to the Romanian navy to prevent civilian harm. Foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi wrote on X that the incident "once again shows that Russia's ongoing full-scale aggression poses a threat not only to Ukraine but to the entire region."

“This incident once again shows that the ongoing full-scale aggression of Russia poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire region. Effective coordination is crucial to mitigate its consequences for neighbouring countries.”

Search and emergency response

Romanian authorities evacuated the Constanța coastline and activated the Red Intervention Plan. Two helicopters were dispatched to scan for additional drones. Interior ministry state secretary Raed Arafat told a press conference the measures were purely preventive and urged against panic. Reuters, citing local outlet Digi24, reported that three additional naval drones were found during the search; another report via G4Media indicated Ukraine had warned that up to five drones may have been in the area.

“We are not panicking; these measures are purely preventive.”

European reaction

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the explosion "a direct consequence of Russia's war against Ukraine" and said the conflict is "becoming an increasingly direct threat to countries on our eastern border." She pledged unconditional solidarity and pointed to EU investments in anti-drone capabilities, air defence and early-warning systems under the SAFE rearmament programme. European Council President António Costa noted it was the third serious security incident on Romanian territory in recent weeks, referencing a 29 May episode in which a Russian drone entered Romanian airspace and crashed into an apartment building in Galați, lightly injuring two people.

“Our response must match the urgency of the matter.”

Tusk warns of escalation

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, speaking from the EU–Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro, said the event was not a surprise. He told reporters he had warned European partners weeks ago to expect various incidents, "sometimes intentional, sometimes not," and that the overall situation is moving toward escalation and greater tension. "We must be prepared for this and Poland is trying to be prepared," he said.

“I warned our European partners many weeks ago that we can expect various incidents, sometimes intentional, sometimes not, but that the general situation is moving toward escalation and greater tensions.”