NATO member Romania finds ‘drone debris’ on its territory near Ukraine border

Romania said Friday it found what appears to be debris from a drone on an island on the Danube river on its territory near the Ukrainian border, where Russia regularly launches assaults on Ukraine’s port infrastructure.

„On the evening of March 28, 2024, fragments were identified that appear to come from an aerial device (drone), on an agricultural field in the Great Brăila Island,” Romania’s defense ministry said in a statement.

The finding came as Romania celebrated 20 years since joining the military alliance and was another  stark reminder of the country’s proximity to the war.

As a NATO member, Romania is protected under Article 5 of the military alliance’s treaties, which says that an attack on one member will be considered an attack on all members.

Romania’s defense ministry said authorities will be carrying out an investigation into the remains Friday.

Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, regularly attacks Ukrainian ports in its southwest region which is close to Romania’s eastern border.

Russian explosives fired during the war on Ukraine have landed in foreign countries, including EU and NATO members in the past.

In September 2023, another Russian drone was found on Romanian soil near the Danube river. Bulgaria, also a NATO member, reported finding a kamikaze drone on its territory shortly afterwards, but could not confirm its origins.