The population of northern Tulcea county received a RO-ALERT message on Thursday night, regarding the possibility of objects falling from the airspace, against the background of the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine.

The message was transmitted at around 1:30 and urged the population to remain calm and take shelter either in cellars or in civil defence shelters.

'In the absence of shelter, stay indoors, away from windows and exterior walls,' the extreme alert message said.

The alert lasted 90 minutes.

According to Ministry of National Defence (MApN) protocols, RO-ALERT messages are transmitted by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), after the state's surveillance systems signal the development of drones in Ukrainian airspace on a route approaching Romania.

'Russian Federation forces carried out on Friday, May 30, a new series of drone strikes on Ukraine's civilian port infrastructure on the Danube, near the borders of our country. The Romanian Army's radar surveillance system, which permanently monitored the air situation, detected, around 00:30, in the Ukrainian airspace, a drone swarm heading towards the port of Ismail in Ukraine, near Romania's national border. As a result, the measures required by the procedures in force were implemented, and an alert signal was sent (...) to the population in the northern part of Tulcea county, through the RO-ALERT application of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations,' informed the Ministry of National Defence.

According to the radar data, the monitored targets did not cross Romanian airspace at any time. Moreover, the situation did not require the liftoff of the Air Policing Combat Service aircraft, which were prepared to intervene as soon as possible.

So far, there is no information or data on a possible accidental impact on Romanian territory of debris from the drones used in the attack, MApN said.

According to the standard procedures established for these situations, MApN forces and means will carry out searches, on Friday morning, in the areas adjacent to the state border, in the vicinity of the attacked Ukrainian targets, where such risks could occur.

The MApN forces and means continue to constantly monitor Romania's airspace and the airspace in its vicinity, being ready to act at any time, depending on the situations that may arise.

The Ministry of National Defence reiterates its firm condemnation of the attacks carried out by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian civilian targets and infrastructure, which are unjustified and in serious contradiction with the norms of international law.

MApN data shows that since September 5, 2023 to date, about 17 drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory, most of them in Tulcea county.
AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Luisiana Bigea; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)