A drone of unknown origin has crashed in a remote forested area of eastern Romania, just five kilometres from the Ukrainian border, triggering an explosion and a blaze that drew emergency crews to a stone quarry overnight.
Emergency call leads to burning wreckage
The incident unfolded near the village of Luncavița in Tulcea county after a member of the public dialled the emergency number 112. The aircraft came down in woodland close to the Cetățuia stone quarry, where it exploded and caught fire. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
According to preliminary information released by Romania’s Ministry of National Defence, no one was injured and no material damage has been recorded. The ministry confirmed the crash on Friday but did not immediately identify the drone’s origin or ownership.
Radar blind spot suspected
Military officials said the drone was not detected by radar surveillance systems, likely because it was flying at extremely low altitude. A team of specialists and an IAR PUMA 330 SOCAT helicopter were sent to survey the area.
The discovery came shortly after authorities issued a RO-Alert emergency warning for the northern part of Tulcea county and the eastern part of neighbouring Galați county, citing a possible airborne threat.
On Thursday, NATO fighter jets scrambled from Baltic air-policing duties shot down a drone over eastern Latvia.
