August 9, 2026 UPDATE
The latest news from RRI
Newsroom, 09.08.2026, 20:00
Cernavodă – The operation to sink four barges in the Danube has been completed to ensure the continued operation of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant in southeastern Romania. Radu Miruţă, acting Minister of Defense and Transportation, announced that the water level has risen dramatically, by 8 cm, in the area around the plant; this significant increase in flow ensures the safe operation of Reactor No. 2 for at least another nine days, based on current forecasts. Hydrologists estimate that, after a period of stagnation, the Danube’s flow rates will begin to rise gradually again, reaching 1,500 cubic meters per second by next Saturday. We remind you that Romania is under an energy alert throughout August, due to a significant reduction in electricity production caused by the drought, which has considerably lowered river flows. The Cernavodă power plant has also been affected; its Reactor No. 1 was shut down due to the very low water level of the Danube, and there is a risk that Reactor No. 2 could also become unavailable for the same reason. To prevent such an outcome, among other measures, it was decided to carry out a controlled detonation of a rock formation and to sink four barges loaded with stone. An appeal was also issued calling for voluntary electricity conservation by the public, as well as by public institutions and companies.
Drought – During this period, tourism has also been affected by the very low water levels of the Danube. Many river ports are not operational, and over 70% of cruise ship voyages have been canceled, resulting in significant economic losses for tour operators. Commercial shipping is facing difficulties, with ships forced to carry smaller loads. There are also restrictions on irrigation. Finally, aquatic wildlife is also at risk due to the low water level of the Danube, with experts warning that the lack of oxygen threatens ecosystems.
Cyber attack – Romania’s National Agency for Cadastre and Real Estate Registration (ANCPI) announced that its IT system will be partially restored in the coming days, approximately one month after a major cyber attack paralyzed the institution’s entire operations. ANCPI has assured the public that the registry of properties and real property rights has not been compromised, nor is there any evidence that the attackers gained access to this data. The Romanian government has announced that it is treating this incident with the utmost seriousness and that additional measures will be taken to secure the infrastructure, so that the systems reopened to the public will be more secure. The cyber attack on the National Agency for Cadastre and Real Estate Registration, an infrastructure of national interest, blocked, among other things, citizens’ and professionals’ access to cadastral services, as well as to Romania’s real estate market.
Diocese – Romania’s acting Foreign Minister, Oana Ţoiu, announced that Italian President Sergio Mattarella has signed into law the bill officially recognizing the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy, following a unanimous vote in both chambers of the Italian Parliament. According to the head of Romanian diplomacy in a message posted on Facebook on Sunday, this means that, in practice, starting in August, for example, a wedding officiated in a Romanian church in Italy will be recognized by the Italian state. Furthermore, when a sick person requests that their priest be allowed to visit them in the hospital, that request will be granted. Oana Ţoiu notes that the more than 1 million Romanians in Italy represent one of the largest and oldest Romanian communities outside Romania’s borders and, at the same time, are an integral part of Italian society.
Drone – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that it is in contact with its Bulgarian counterparts to provide the necessary assistance after a Ukrainian military drone crashed and exploded on Saturday in the neighboring country, near the border with Romania and a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. There were no casualties or property damage. Kyiv stated that it did not deliberately target Bulgaria and promised an investigation. Meanwhile, the Romanian Ministry of Defense’s radar surveillance system detected an aerial target near the river border with Ukraine on Saturday night. Romanians in the area were notified via a RO Alert message. A drone crashed on Sunday in southeastern Moldova, in a village near the border with Ukraine. A powerful explosion was followed by a wildfire. (LS)
