Constanta, Romania. Photo: CristianMihart / Shutterstock.com A maritime drone was discovered this morning, June 5, 2026, in the Constanta Civil Port in Romania, near the headquarters of the Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea. The drone, according to an official announcement from Romanian authorities, "self-detonated at around 10:30 am (local time), without causing any casualties."
The area has since been "secured and isolated" by forces of the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Coast Guard and the Ministry of National Defense, the object being, at that time, in the process of being evaluated and made safe.
"We would like to point out that the object is not part of the Romanian Army's equipment and was not involved in the recent exercises organized by the Ministry of National Defense in the Black Sea area," said the Ministry of National Defense.
"The situation is dynamic and we will return with information and official data as they become available," the announcement added.
According to Raed Arafat, head of Romania's Department for Emergency Situations, the Red Intervention Plan was activated immediately after the explosion, triggering a large-scale emergency response.
Authorities deployed 80 personnel from the Constanța Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU), along with 8 fire engines, 8 aerial ladder trucks, one mobile intensive care unit, 10 first-response ambulances, 2 mass-casualty ambulances, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear unit, and 4 ambulances from the County Ambulance Service.
In addition, a SMURD rescue helicopter was tasked with conducting an aerial reconnaissance mission along the coast. A Black Hawk helicopter from Tulcea was also deployed, with both aircraft instructed to survey the area because "there is a possibility that there may be other drones."
Arafat stressed that authorities must assume additional drones could still be present in the area. As a precaution, emergency warnings were issued in Constanța and Tulcea counties, advising residents and visitors to avoid the coastline within a one-kilometer radius.
"Precisely because there is a possibility that other drones may exist, Ro-Alert messages were issued in Constanța and Tulcea to avoid the coastal area and evacuate it until we can ensure there is no risk of another explosion or another drone in the area," Arafat said.
More than 1,000 tourists and locals have since been evacuated from Mamaia, Costinesti, Eforie, and Constanta.
At approximately 01:00 PM local time (10:00 AM GMT), the Ukrainian Navy issued the following statement regarding the incident: "While performing tasks in the Black Sea operational zone, one of the unmanned naval boats of the Navy of the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost control and ended up off the coast of Romania.
The Military-Marine Forces of Ukraine provided the necessary information to the military-maritime forces of Romania in order to prevent losses among the civilian population."
A week ago, authorities in Romania confirmed an aerial drone had crashed in the eastern part of the country, causing an explosion at an apartment building and injuring two.