NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on Thursday that there is no indication that the wreckage of drones or unmanned aircraft in Romania’s territory was caused by a deliberate Russian attack on Romania.
On Monday, Ukraine claimed that unmanned aircraft exploded in Romania during a Russian overnight air raid at a Ukrainian port across the Danube River. Attacks on the site have escalated since July when Moscow canceled an agreement lifting the de facto Russian blockade on Ukraine’s Black Sea port.
Initially, Romanian officials denied Ukraine’s allegations but changed their stance on Wednesday. Defense Minister Angel Tilvar said that parts of a Russian unmanned aircraft fell in the Romanian area.
“We have no information indicating a deliberate attack by Russia, and we are awaiting the results of the ongoing investigation,” Stoltenberg told members of the European Parliament.
Stoltenberg emphasized the risks posed by Russian air attacks in areas very close to the alliance’s territory.
“This highlights the risk of incidents and accidents. Regardless of the (investigation) outcome, what we are seeing is, of course, a high level of combat and air activity near the NATO borders,” he said.
Russia has carried out long-range airstrikes on targets in Ukraine since its invasion of the neighboring country last year.
The Ukrainian government has reported alleged Russian weapons flying over or impacting its neighboring countries on several occasions.
In the most serious incident, two people were killed in Poland by a missile that landed near the border last November. Poland and NATO allies later stated that it was a misfired Ukrainian air defense missile.
