Romania finds Russian drone fragments, detonates explosives on board

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BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania recovered fragments of an unmanned Russian aircraft near its border with Moldova carrying active explosives which the defence ministry detonated on site, it said on Saturday.

The European Union and NATO state, which shares a 650-km (400-mile) border with Ukraine, has had Russian drone fragments fall onto its territory repeatedly over the past year as Moscow attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure.

Moldova, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, has also had drone fragments fall onto its territory.

The defence ministry said the fragments were found in the southeastern county of Galati, 500 metres (547 yards) away from the border with Moldova and its Danube river port of Giurgiulesti.

“The presence of an active (explosive) load has been identified on board the aircraft which will be … detonated in a controlled manner on site to eliminate danger to the local population,” the ministry said in a statement before the detonation occurred.

Earlier this week, Romanian lawmakers adopted a bill enabling the army to shoot down drones illegally breaching Romanian airspace, based on threat levels and risks to human life and property.

The country did not have an updated framework for dealing with illegal airspace breaches in peacetime. Based on the new law, destruction of drones or manned aircraft is the last resort.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie: Editing by Daren Butler)