Ukraine strikes ships as drone explodes in Romanian port

Ukraine said its drones struck five cargo ships and tankers in the Sea of Azov and waters off Russian-occupied territory, while also acknowledging that one of its maritime drones exploded near a Romanian oil terminal after being knocked off course.

The incidents underscored the widening risks around the Black Sea as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year. No injuries were reported in Friday’s blast at Romania’s Constanta port, but Romanian authorities said the detonation caused considerable damage to a ship and warehouses and prompted security measures along the coast.

Ukraine’s navy said one of its unmanned surface vessels “came under the influence of the enemy’s electronic warfare systems, lost control, and ended up near the coast of Romania.” Moscow has not commented on that claim.

Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said the drone self-detonated at 10:30 a.m. local time near an oil terminal. Interior Minister Raed Arafat said the port was evacuated after the blast, and residents along the Black Sea coast were warned to take cover while helicopters searched the area for other vessels.

Adrian Teodor Picoiu, Constanta’s top official, told G4Media that “information from the Ukrainian side” indicated the drone had been part of a group of five, with a second exploding in Ukraine. The remaining three were unaccounted for, though officials said there was no further risk. Authorities have not said why the drones were in Romanian waters.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan called it the second “significant security incident this week” on the Romanian seaside, after a stray mine was found near Vama Veche, more than 50 kilometers north of Constanta. Al Jazeera reported that Romania’s navy detonated a Russian YaRM-type anti-landing mine that had drifted ashore. Last week, two people were injured when a drone struck an apartment block in Galati, near the Ukrainian border. Romanian officials said it was a Russian drone, while Moscow called the accusations “unsubstantiated.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the maritime drone incident was a “direct consequence” of the war. “It is increasingly becoming a direct threat to countries on our Eastern border. Our solidarity with every Member State exposed to these threats is absolute,” she wrote, adding that Europe was investing in anti-drone capabilities, air defence and early warning systems.

Romania, a NATO member that shares a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine, has reported dozens of airspace breaches during the war and has asked NATO for help strengthening air defences.

Separately, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, said five “illegally loitering vessels” were struck overnight in Mariupol, Berdyansk and coastal waters of what Kyiv calls temporarily occupied territories. He said the ships’ names had been painted over and their radars turned off “with the aim of quietly stealing Ukrainian grain,” as well as transferring military cargo and fuel.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said five of its citizens were killed and three injured in attacks on two cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov. It named the ships as the Nastra and the Circon, said they did not belong to Azerbaijan and did not specify who was behind the attacks. Brovdi did not mention any deaths.

The developments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s renewed offer of face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, paired with a call for a full ceasefire during negotiations. Zelensky wrote that it would be “wrong to simply wait” until the war became the focus of U.S. attention again and said peace could come only “through direct engagement.”

The Kremlin said it received the letter, but Putin, speaking during a visit to St. Petersburg, said he saw no reason to meet Zelensky. The BBC reported that the European Union, France and the United States have backed Zelensky’s call for a meeting.

In Ukraine, local officials said at least 13 people were killed and more than 70 injured over the past day, including four people killed when Russian drones struck a dairy factory outside Kyiv and a 35-year-old woman killed in a drone attack on a petrol station in Kherson.