KYIV/BUCHAREST—Ukraine claimed on Sept. 4 that Russian drones fell and detonated in the territory of NATO member Romania during an overnight air strike on a Ukrainian port across the Danube River, although Bucharest denied that its territory had been hit.
Moscow has conducted long-range air strikes on targets in Ukraine since the start of its invasion last year. Since Moscow abandoned a deal in July that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, it has repeatedly struck Ukrainian river ports across the Danube from Romania.
Russia launched its air strike hours before President Vladimir Putin was due to discuss reviving the Black Sea deal with the deal’s sponsor, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“According to Ukraine’s state border guard service, last night, during a massive Russian attack near the port of Izmail, Russian ‘Shakheds’ fell and detonated on the territory of Romania,” foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko claimed, referring to Iranian-made drones.
“This is yet another confirmation that Russia’s missile terror poses a huge threat not only to Ukraine’s security but also to the security of neighbouring countries, including NATO member states,” he wrote on Facebook.
Mr. Nikolenko published a photo showing the flames from an explosion visible from across a river. Reuters couldn’t immediately verify the vantage point of the image.
The Romanian Defense Ministry said Romania wasn’t hit.
“The ministry of defence categorically denies information from the public space regarding a so-called overnight situation during which Russian drones would have fallen in Romania’s national territory,” it said.
“At no time did Russia’s means of attack generate direct military threats on Romanian national territory or waters.”
NATO has a collective defense commitment under which the military alliance considers any attack on one ally to be an attack on all allies.
Meanwhile, officials in Kyiv said the Sept. 4 attack damaged Ukrainian warehouses and set buildings ablaze, hours before Mr. Erdogan met with Mr. Putin in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi. Turkey, which is also a NATO member, has sponsored the Black Sea grain export deal and Mr. Erdogan has said he expects to persuade Mr. Putin to rejoin it.
Russia quit the deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely export food via the Black Sea during the war.
