Talks between Romanian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers
Bucharest and Kyiv share the responsibility of keeping the Black Sea safe
Bogdan Matei, 12.06.2026, 13:50
In a phone call with her Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Oana Ţoiu, has conveyed Romania’s concern about the propagation of the effects of the war in Ukraine to the neighbouring countries. In a message on X platform taken over by the local mass-media, Oana Ţoiu reiterated Romania’s condemnation of the Russian aggression as well as the joint commitment to a ceasefire and a durable peace. The head of the Romanian diplomacy has been given assurances on Kyiv’s readiness to make all the efforts for the joint management of cross-border risks generated by the Russian aggression. Oana Ţoiu has also referred to the importance of improving the mechanisms of early warning and those of presenting the operative situation as well as the common responsibility of keeping the Black Sea safe. The Țoiu-Sybiha talks take place one week after a Ukrainian sea drone exploded in Constanta, Romania’s biggest port to the Black Sea.
The drone, which was filmed by several locals before the explosion, was allegedly diverted by Russia by means of counter-drone systems, which have been largely employed by the two sides during the war.
According to experts, the device seems to have been of MAGURA type with a length of 5.5 meters, a width of 1.5 meters, and a low radar profile, being very difficult to detect. The drone flies at a maximum speed of 78 km/h and has a range of up to 800 kilometers. It could carry 320 kg of explosive. This type of drone has so far been credited with the sinking of 17 Russian war vessels. According to experts, had it reached the shore in Constanta, the drone would have caused a disaster. Earlier, another drone, this time sent by Russia and diverted by the Ukrainian air defence exploded on a block of flats in Galati, eastern Romania, close to the border, wounding a woman and her minor son. After the incident, upon Romania’s request, the UN Security Council convened and so did the Organization for Security in Europe (OSCE) Permanent Council and the Forum for Security Cooperation. But pundits say these are the types of sessions, which are vehemently condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine but fail to change the situation on the front. And Romania, which shares with Ukraine about 650 kilometers of border seems to be destined to the role of collateral victim. The press in Bucharest is noting that the entire border reflects the war’s direct impact. The risks aren’t only of the military type, but also of the humanitarian, logistic and criminal type. Illegal trafficking in the region has increased, mainly due to the restrictions imposed to the Ukrainian men at the drafting age, while the draft-dodgers’ fraudulent attempts to cross the border require supplementary patrols and equipment.
(bill)
