Romania to build shelters for population due to Russian shelling

Romania is stepping up measures to protect civilians in the settlements bordering Ukraine on the Danube river. This is reported by the Romanian news portal Digi24. On Friday, Romania's National Committee for Special Emergency Situations decided to strengthen the protection of residents of the settlements opposite the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail in Odesa region, which had been actively shelled by Russia recently.

The Committee's decision authorizes the Ministry of National Defense to identify areas on the Romanian bank of the Danube where additional civilian protection measures should be implemented. In particular, in the areas of Romania opposite the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail, residents will be sent Ro-Alert messages in case a threat of falling "elements belonging to military equipment used in the conflict" is detected.

The explosion of a suspected Russian Shahed UAV in Romania. September 4, 2023.

Photo credits: Oleh Nikolenko/Facebook

Presumably, it regards Russian Shahed loitering munitions or their fragments, or cruise missiles, which Russians periodically use to fire at civilian and infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, including the Danube ports in Odesa region. In addition to warning the public of the danger, the county emergency inspectorates will instruct local residents on how to act in dangerous situations. Shelters will also be built in the settlements of Plauru and Ceatalchioi, as well as others.

As previously reported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported that during the Russian shelling of port infrastructure on the Danube on the night of Monday, September 4, Russian Shahed drones crashed and exploded in neighboring Romania. The Romanian Defense Ministry did not initially confirm this information. Also, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that Russian drones allegedly did not crash in the country.

Romania actually denied the incident and stated that "the Russian attack did not generate direct military threats to Romania's national territory or territorial waters." After that, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that Ukraine had photo evidence of Shahed drones falling on Romanian territory.

Drone detonation site in Romania, September 4, 2023

Only a few days later, Romanian Defense Minister admitted that fragments similar to the wreckage of a drone were found near the banks of the Danube on the Romanian side.

They were found near the village of Plauru, on the territory of the Tulcea community, across from the Ukrainian town of Izmail.