Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
No one was hurt.
A dangerous situation unfolded in the Black Sea when a high-tech vessel veered off track.
On June 5, Ukraine’s Navy saw that one of its uncrewed surface craft lost control during a routine mission in the Black Sea.
Powerful Russian electronic warfare completely jammed the vehicle’s navigation.
Blinded by the attack, the drone drifted far out of the operational zone and floated directly toward the coast of Romania.
Straying off course
To prevent civilian casualties, Ukrainian officials quickly alerted their neighbors.
“During missions in the Black Sea operational zone, one of the uncrewed surface vessels of the Ukrainian Navy lost control under the influence of enemy electronic warfare and ended up near the coast of Romania. The Ukrainian Navy provided the necessary information to the Romanian Navy in order to prevent casualties among the civilian population,” the Ukrainian Navy said in a post on Facebook, cited by United24Media.
The stray vessel eventually reached the busy Romanian port of Constanța. It drifted near a crowded pier. Then, it suddenly self-detonated.
Conflicting reports quickly emerged about the exact cause of the blast. Some sources claimed the boat hit a barrier, while others suggested a built-in timer caused the detonation.
Port city blast
Romania’s Defense Ministry confirmed the timing and lack of injuries. “The naval drone self-detonated at around 10:30 a.m., causing no casualties,” Romania’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Coast guard teams quickly isolated the area. Officials later noted that the weapon was identical to those used in the war. “The naval drone belongs to the type of uncrewed systems used in the war in Ukraine,” the Romanian Defense Ministry said.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi praised the rapid response.
“On the incident in the port of Constanța, Romania: Ukraine’s Navy informed the Romanian side in a timely manner of a naval drone that had lost control because of Russian jamming,” Tykhyi said in a statement on X.
Tykhyi added that the close call shows how the war threatens surrounding countries. “This incident shows once again that Russia’s ongoing full-scale aggression poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire region. Effective coordination is key to mitigate its consequences to neighbouring countries,” he said.
