BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) – NATO does not have any indication that drone debris found on Romanian territory was caused by an intentional attack launched by Moscow against Romania, the alliance’s chief said on Thursday.
“We don’t have any information indicating an intentional attack by Russia, and we are awaiting the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told EU lawmakers.
Parts of what could be a Russian drone fell on Romanian territory, Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Wednesday, two days after Ukraine said Russian drones had detonated on the NATO member’s land.
Romanian officials had earlier denied reports of drones crashing on Romanian soil and said Russian attacks in neighbouring Ukraine did not pose a direct threat.
On Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis said confirmation of the discovered parts belonging to a Russian drone would be a serious violation.
“I confirm that pieces which might be the elements of a drone were found,” Tilvar told Antenna 3 CNN broadcaster.
He said the area had not been evacuated because there was nothing to suggest that the parts posed a threat, and that the pieces would be analysed to confirm their origin.
NATO allies on Wednesday expressed “strong solidarity” with Romania after the country briefed them about the incident. “We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our ally Romania,” NATO said in a statement.
Ukraine had said on Monday that drones detonated in Romania during an overnight Russian air strike on a Ukrainian port across the Danube River, where attacks have increased since July when Moscow abandoned a deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
Photo: Forțele Navale Române
