Romania bolsters air defense near Ukrainian border villages
Photo: illustrative picture
Romania is moving air defenses closer to its Danube villages across the river from Ukraine, where Russian drones have been attacking grain facilities, and is adding more military observation posts and patrols to the area, Reuters reports.
Shortly after withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal on July 17, Moscow began attacking Ukrainian ports and warehouses along the Danube, clearly trying to cut off the main alternative route for Ukraine's agricultural exports.
Ukrainian ports of Izmail and Reni, both of which are located across the Danube from Romania, were among the targets.
Separate incidents involving downed drone parts in Romania highlight the risk of miscommunication between Russia and NATO, prompting the Romanian forces to increase security in the area to protect civilians, two anonymous sources told the agency.
Romanian forces built two bomb shelters in the small village of Plauru, just a few hundred meters from Izmail, and residents of the larger area send out cell phone alerts when Russian drones are spotted.
Last Friday, the Romanian Defense Ministry announced that about 100 US troops and four American-made F-16 jets had arrived at Borca military airbase, located about 150 km south of Izmail.
Since mid-September, the ministry has also expanded the no-fly zone along the Ukrainian border to 30 km inside Romania and up to an altitude of 4,000 meters as a deterrent against Russian drones intruding into Romanian airspace.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Kyiv on September 28 that there was no evidence that the Russian strikes near the Ukraine-Romania border were a deliberate attack on Romania but called them "reckless" and "destabilizing."
The DM spokesman Constantin Spinu also reassured there was no indication that Russia had targeted Romania.
On the night of Monday, September 4, during the massive shelling of Ukraine, Russian Shahed kamikaze drones crashed and exploded in neighboring Romania.
The Romanian FM denied that Russian drones had exploded on its territory. At the same time, the ministry emphasized that it considers these Russian attacks unjustified and contrary to international humanitarian law.
On September 5, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also said that "no parts of drones" or other devices had fallen on the country's territory.
However, President Klaus Iohannis later acknowledged the downing of the UAV and stated that after examining the area, fragments that "may be from a drone" were found.
On September 9, Romanian Navy personnel deployed for research missions in the Plauru area of Tulcea County conducted search operations in the area of responsibility. The soldiers found new fragments of another drone that crashed on Saturday in Romania.
