Romanian President appeals for an ‘urgent investigation’ into debris suspected to be the remains of a drone

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called for an “urgent investigation” into debris suspected to be the remains of a drone found on Romanian soil following attacks in neighboring Ukraine.

The revelation came after Romania had consistently denied claims made by Kyiv that Iranian-made Russian drones had been detonated on Romanian territory during an attack on the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

The defense ministry issued a press release stating, “Investigators discovered elements resembling drone debris in the evening of 5 September.” The debris was discovered near Plauru, a village in Romania on the other side of the Danube. Experts will conduct a technical analysis to “determine (the debris’) origin and characteristics.”

President Iohannis, who had previously stated that no debris or drone was found on Romanian soil earlier in the week, appeared to reverse course and called for “an urgent and professional investigation.” He emphasized that if it is confirmed that these elements belonged to a Russian drone, it would be “completely inadmissible and a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO ally.” He made these statements before the start of the Three Seas Initiative summit hosted by Bucharest.

Iohannis informed the NATO Secretary-General and NATO allies about the new development through the ambassador. NATO spokesman Dylan White stated, “Alliance allies expressed strong solidarity with Romania” during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council.

Opposition leader of the center-right party USR, Catalin Drula, accused Romania of attempting to cover up the situation. He said on Facebook, “They lied for two days. Ukraine told the truth. Their instinct is to sweep it under the rug.”

Bucharest strongly condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s Danube infrastructure. One person died in fresh Russian drone attacks over a port district in Ukraine’s southwestern Odesa on Wednesday.

The mayor of the Romanian border village Chilia Veche, Timur Cius, expressed concern, saying, “People are panicking a bit. There are only 370 meters between our borders.” However, he also added, “We feel safe here because we are in a NATO country.”