Romania and NATO in times of crisis
The territory of Romania has not been the target of attacks, and the drone fragments found in villages on the Danube border with Ukraine fell accidentally
Ştefan Stoica, 12.10.2023, 13:50
The report on the drones that fell last month in the Danube Delta was completed and submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office in Bucharest. The drones were hit by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense and did not target Romanias territory. The information came from the Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, in Parliament, at the traditional ‘Government Hour’, called to provide explanations on this topic of concern for the authorities and for the inhabitants of the villages along the Danube border with Ukraine. The drones launched by Russia over the river port of Izmail were hit by Ukraines anti-aircraft defense and became uncontrollable in the vicinity of the target, which led to their accidental entry into the national airspace and their fall in proximity, on the territory of Romania.
We did not notice any intent in any of these situations, Romanias territory was not targeted, the impact being accidental, Minister Tîlvăr stressed. According to him, the drones could not be observed by the surveillance and early warning systems for objective reasons, related to the low altitude at which they were flying, their uncontrolled movement as well as the shielding generated by the terrain and the port infrastructure of Ukraine. These limitations are specific to any radar system, no matter how powerful it is, explained Tîlvăr. He also recalled that the impact of the drones was non-explosive, as the drones had no active combat equipment. In all the situations reported, there was no material damage or casualties.
The Minister of Defense also stated that more aerial surveillance systems have been recently installed in the Danube Delta area, near the Ukrainian ports attacked by Russian forces. Minister Angel Tîlvăr:
“With regard to the maritime and river areas, we are considering measures to secure maritime communication routes for the discovery and neutralization of sea mines, because this is also a matter of concern for the citizens of Romania, as such mines are drifting from the Black Sea basin, within the joint effort of riparian NATO states. At the same time, we maintain the hydrographic and navigation coverage of the Romanian coast and issue notices for navigators, in order to increase maritime security, in the maritime and fluvial areas of interest. We have increased traffic surveillance in the area of sea drilling platforms and, in the Sulina-Sfântu Gheorghe sector, naval research for the discovery and neutralization of drifting sea mines.”
In the relationship with our allies, who have deployed significant forces in the country, we are considering the review and adaptation of the measures to ensure host-nation support, according to the provisions of the allied plans and the requests of the partners, in accordance with the level of the allied presence on the national territory, stated the Minister of Defense. At the same time, the coordination and monitoring of road, air and rail transports belonging to the armies of allied and partner states are considered. (MI)
