Preemptive evacuation in the Danube Delta

Romania for the first time evacuated residents as a precaution in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Daniela Budu, 18.11.2025, 13:50

The Romanian authorities have decided to preemptively evacuate the population of two villages in the Danube Delta, near the border with Ukraine, after a Turkish-flagged LPG tanker caught fire following strikes by Russian drones on Sunday night. Due to the high risk of explosion, the population in the area received text alert messages. According to the authorities, many of the local residents managed to self-evacuate, while the rest were evacuated with the help of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Tulcea City Hall has made over a hundred accommodation places available to the evacuees  at four boarding schools belonging to educational facilities. The forces of the Defence Ministry have investigated the areas where risks could arise as a result of the Russian attack.

According to the Tulcea Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, intervention forces will continue to be deployed near the area at risk in order to closely monitor the development of the situation. In the event of an emergency situation or other unfavourable developments, its crews are ready to take quick action to limit the effects and reduce the risk of material damage, the Inspectorate also said. A number of special vehicles for transporting victims, vehicles for transporting people with certain medical conditions, fire service vehicles, as well as minibuses were dispatched to the area. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations Raed Arafat emphasised that technical assessments require taking into account all scenarios until the fire is extinguished. He said the area could be exposed within 4-5 km, according to calculations made by the experts. He gave assurances that when the risk decreases and there is no longer any danger, people will be able to return to their homes. Some of the residents have already started to return to their villages.

The Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in the Danube Delta said Ukrainian emergency and intervention services took action to limit the negative effects on the tanker struck by the Russian attack, significantly reducing the danger of a potential emergency situation with serious effects on neighbouring localities. The sound of explosions following drone attacks on the Ukrainian bank of the Danube has been heard frequently on the Romanian bank of the Danube in recent years. However, this is the first time that Romania has evacuated residents preemptively, in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

For about two years, Russian drones entered Romanian airspace without the Romanian army to be able to intervene. This spring, after months of public pressure and repeated incidents in the Danube Delta, the Romanian authorities eventually adopted a law that allows for the army to shoot down these drones.