Port explosion prompts Constanța visit by President Nicușor Dan
The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, has called a meeting for Saturday to discuss the incident involving naval drones that exploded on June 5 in the Port of Constanța and off the Black Sea.
According to an announcement from the Cotroceni Palace, a meeting will be held in Constanța at the headquarters of the 243rd Radioelectronics and Observation Brigade (BREO) "Calatis." Representatives from key institutions responsible for national security and defense will participate in this meeting.
The agenda will include an analysis of the circumstances surrounding a recent incident, its implications for national and regional security, and the necessary measures to enhance defense and security along the Romanian coast.
On Friday morning at 10:28 AM, a Ukrainian maritime drone loaded with explosives self-detonated at Berth 78 of the Port of Constanța. Fortunately, the incident did not result in any casualties. However, the explosion was felt throughout the municipality and caused significant damage to an industrial facility in the port.
Romanian authorities reported that the Ukrainian Navy had announced just ten minutes before the explosion that it had lost control of a group of four maritime drones and had alerted Romanian authorities prior to the impact.
The other three drones self-detonated without causing damage: two detonated at sea, while one detonated outside the port.
Kaja Kallas, the head of European diplomacy, commented on the incident, stating that the "ultimate responsibility" for the explosion in the Port of Constanța lies "directly with Russia," even though Ukraine has acknowledged that the involved drone belonged to them.
"The explosion of a drone in the Port of Constanța demonstrates that Russia's war is increasingly expanding onto EU territory. The ultimate responsibility for what occurred lies directly with Russia," Kaja Kallas expressed on social media.
In response to the incident, the Bulgarian Naval Forces have increased surveillance along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
The Maritime Administration in Varna, the city with the main port in northern Bulgaria, temporarily suspended ferry services on Friday and advised fishermen to refrain from going out to sea. Additionally, a regatta underway in Balchik, approximately 40 kilometers south of Constanța, was interrupted.
