Romania admitted Wednesday that part of what could be a Russian drone fell on the territory of a NATO member – two days after “conclusively” denying the incident, despite photographic evidence released by Ukraine.
Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar told local news channel Antena 3 CNN that apparent drone debris was found in the eastern Tulcea district on the banks of the Danube River, which separates Romania from neighboring Ukraine.
“I confirmed that in this area, pieces that might be drones were found,” Tilvar said.
The minister added that the area had not been evacuated as there was nothing to indicate that the suspected drone parts posed a threat and said the pieces would be analyzed to determine their origin.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis warned that confirmation of parts found belonging to Russian drones would be “totally unacceptable and a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO ally.”
Romania admitted on Wednesday that part of a suspected Russian drone crashed on its territory, after Ukraine shared photos of the alleged explosion. Telegram
Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar (second from left) confirmed that an apparent drone part had been found near the Danube River. AP
“We are always vigilant and in constant contact with our NATO allies,” he added, speaking in Bucharest at the start of an international summit.
The Romanian leader’s public face came after the country’s Ministry of National Defense “absolutely denied” claims made on Monday by a spokesman for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, which said a kamikaze drone was launched by Russia as part of Sunday night’s attack on the port. Izmail on the Danube falls and explodes on Romanian soil.
Oleg Nikolenko shared an image showing fireballs shooting into the air at the site of the alleged explosion from across the river.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that if it was confirmed that the drone came from Russia, it would be a “serious violation of Romania’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Lucian Alecu/Shutterstock
“This is another confirmation that Russian missile terrorism poses a great threat not only to the security of Ukraine, but also to the security of neighboring countries, including NATO member states,” Nikolenko said at the time.
Romania quickly responded to the Ukrainian official’s claims about the so-called “overnight situation.” The statement said in part that “at no time did the manner of the Russian attack create a direct military threat on Romanian national territory or waters.”
The kamikaze drone was allegedly launched as part of a Russian attack near the Ukrainian port of Izmail on the Danube River.via REUTERS
A fireball lit up the sky above the Ukrainian city of Reni in the Odesa region, not far from the Danube that separates Ukraine from Romania. Telegram
The Romanian president also denied Ukraine’s claims on Tuesday, saying the attack was “confirmed 800 yards from our border, very, very close.”
Less than 24 hours later, Iohannis told reporters that he had called for an “immediate investigation” into the drone incident.
Tilvar, the defense minister, reiterated that there was no immediate threat and told the Agerpres news agency that it was possible that the drone did not explode on impact but that it simply fell or pieces landed on Romanian territory.
“[That] doesn’t make us happy … but I don’t think we can talk about an attack and, as I said before, I think we need to know how to distinguish between an act of aggression and an incident,” the official was quoted as saying.
Tilvar (left) and other Romanian defense officials went to a village on the banks of the Danube to talk to locals on Wednesday. AP
A ministry spokesman said a search team had been in the area for several days while the minister and other defense officials interviewed villagers.
Ukraine has reported suspected Russian missiles and drones flying over or crashing into neighbors, including NATO members, several times since the start of the war, most notably in November, when a missile hit a farm in Poland, killing two people.
Polish officials later said it appeared to be accidental and may have been launched by air defenses in Ukraine.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
