Romania finds drone crater near Ukraine border after Russia's attack

Following an overnight Russian attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure, Romania discovered a drone crater close to its border with Ukraine on Thursday, according to the ministry of defense.

The crater is approximately 1.5 meters deep, and the ministry stated that it was created by the “uncontrolled crash of a drone used in the attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure.”

It stated that the drone went down in a remote area close to the village of Grindu.

Romania’s airspace was monitored by German Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and Romanian F-16 fighter jets after the attack, according to the ministry.

Russia and Ukraine did not immediately comment on the defence ministry statement.

Since pulling out of a deal allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea in July, Russia has been attacking Ukrainian ports and warehouses across the Danube River from NATO member Romania. Since then, there have been isolated incidents of drone parts landing in Romania.

NATO has a mutual defence commitment if one of its members is attacked, but NATO and Romanian officials have said they have found no evidence of any deliberate attacks on Romania.

Romania has moved air defences closer to villages on its side of the Danube, expanded a no-fly zone and added more military observation posts and patrols to the area, while NATO has increased air policing missions.

(with inputs from Reuters)