Unexploded Projectile Found Near Romania-Ukraine Border Sparks Security Concerns
Incident Overview and Regional Security Implications
Discovery of the Unexploded Projectile
BUCHAREST, May 16 (Reuters) - An unexploded projectile was discovered on a property in southeastern Romania near the European Union and NATO member's border with Ukraine on Saturday, its defence ministry said.
Geographical Context and Previous Incidents
Romania shares a 650-km (400-mile) land border with Ukraine. Russian drones attacking Ukraine's ports on the Danube river have repeatedly breached its airspace and fragments have sometimes fallen on its territory as Ukrainian forces shoot them down.
Details from the Romanian Defence Ministry
What the ministry described as an unguided reactive projectile was found in the yard of an uninhabited house in the village of Pardina in Romania's Tulcea county, it said in a statement. The ministry did not indicate its suspected origin.
"Technical verifications confirmed the presence of 2 kg worth of explosives in the projectile's body," the statement said, adding that the area's perimeter had been secured.
Recent Related Security Incidents
Last month, an explosive drone landed in a backyard in the city of Galati, marking the first time since the start of the Ukraine war that such an incident had damaged property in Romania.
NATO Response and Regional Security Measures
The leaders of NATO's 14 eastern flank nations this week said Russia's repeated violations of their airspace underlined the urgent need to consolidate the alliance's air defences against missiles and drones.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Joe Bavier)
