Romanian Village Evacuated After Russian Drone Strikes LPG Ship In Danube

Romanian authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents in the village of Plauru on the Danube River that forms the border with Ukraine after a drone reportedly struck an LPG-carrying ship on the Ukrainian side of the river.

In a statement released on November 17, the Defense Ministry said its radar monitoring and surveillance systems also detected and tracked targets in Ukrainian airspace near Tulcea County where Plauru lies.

It added the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations had been notified regarding the implementation of alert measures for the population in the northern part of the county.

While the ministry said there were no unauthorized aircraft intrusions into Romanian airspace, Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports in the Danube region have triggered several alerts in the NATO member.

Russian drone incursions over Romania and Poland, along with Russian military jets entering Estonian airspace, has led NATO to launch its Eastern Sentry initiative to bolster air defenses.

The European Union’s executive, meanwhile, approved last month a five-year defense road map that features plans for a “drone wall” to be fully functional by the end of 2027.

The European Commission plan says Russia and Belarus represent “the greatest threat,” citing repeated violations of EU member states by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

With the risk of further explosions remaining, the Department for Emergency Situations said several people had been evacuated.

George Maladoi, deputy mayor of the Ceatalchioi settlement, which includes the village of Plauru, told RFE/RL that some residents had relocated to City Hall until the problem is resolved.

He added that local emergency teams are assisting with the evacuation of people and animals to safer areas./Rferl/