Ukrainian Marine Drone Explodes Near Constanta Oil Terminal, Romania Reports No Casualties

A malfunctioning Ukrainian naval drone exploded near an oil terminal in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta on Friday, with Romanian authorities reporting no casualties.

DW said the incident occurred at the start of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-brokered ceasefire around the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, where Rosatom head Alexei Likachev said Ukraine carried out a "calculated" strike on Russian engineers working at the plant.

Al Jazeera

The Washington Post, citing AP, described the Romanian blast as a Ukrainian maritime drone that exploded at Constanta with "No injuries reported."

TVP World reported the drone self-destructed near the oil terminal in Constanta without causing casualties after Ukraine said Russia jammed the vessel, and it said Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruta said the warning allowed a timely evacuation.

Ukraine’s navy said one of its drones lost control in the Black Sea as a result of Russian electronic warfare, and it said it contacted Romania to warn them and prevent casualties.

TVP World quoted Romanian President Nicusor Dan saying, "The entry of this drone into Romanian sovereign space is a direct consequence of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine," and it said President Dan pinned the blame on Russia and added that another three drones Ukraine lost control of had also detonated off the coast.

Al Jazeera

RFI reported that the Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Georgii Tykhyi said Kyiv "informed the Romanian side in a timely manner" about losing control of a naval drone because of Russian jamming.

Multiple outlets described preventive measures in Constanta after the blast, including evacuations and monitoring, with TVP World saying the port was evacuated and over 1,000 people were removed from beaches as a precaution.

The explosion at Constanta was framed by the sources as part of a broader pattern of war spillover into NATO’s eastern flank, with France 24 saying the incident raised fear of Ukraine war spillover and prompting authorities to evacuate more than 1,000 people.

DW said Zelenskyy told viewers that Vladimir Putin’s rejection of face-to-face talks was a sign that Russia does not want to end the war, quoting Zelenskyy: "Unfortunately, the Russian side is once again choosing war," and it said Putin had responded that there was "no point" in meeting Zelenskyy unless a peace deal including Russia’s demands was on the table.

BBC reported that Ukraine confirmed one of its naval drones exploded off Romania’s coast on Friday and that no injuries were reported, while it also described Zelensky’s offer of face-to-face talks and Putin’s rejection during a visit to St Petersburg for an economic forum.

DW added that Zelenskyy was expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Sunday to inject fresh momentum into diplomatic efforts.