Romanian Villagers Urged to Seek Shelter Amid Russian Attack on Odesa Region

In Romania, residents of villages in the Tulcea district received an RO-Alert message during a Russian drone attack in the Odesa region of Ukraine. The message contained a warning about the potential fall of drone debris.

“There is a possibility of objects falling from the air. Please remain calm and seek shelter in basements or civil defense shelters. If there is no shelter available, stay indoors, away from windows and external walls,” reported the local publication Digi24 on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

The estimated duration of the emergency was set at 90 minutes, and the message was sent to the populations of eight settlements: Luncavița, Grindu, Isaccea, Ceatalchioi, Chilia Veche, Somova, Pardina, and Văcăreni.

On September 7, Romania’s National Committee for Emergency Situations decided that residents of the border zone would be notified in the event of a Russian attack, following a previous attack in southern Ukraine.

This decision stipulates that residents in the border zone with Ukraine will receive RO-ALERT messages notifying them of potential attack threats. In areas with no mobile signal, emergency response teams will work to alert the civilian population.

Media reports also indicated that shelters were being built for residents of a Romanian village along the Danube’s banks, who faced threats due to Russia’s ongoing shelling of Ukrainian ports on the opposite bank.

Other Topics of Interest

Moldova Investigates Russian Missile, Romania Says No Airspace Violation

Kyiv says on Christmas morning, a Russian missile targeting Ukraine’s energy grid flew through Moldovan and Romanian airspace; Bucharest says none was detected while Chișinău says it is investigating.

This development followed several incidents involving drone wreckage resembling those used by the Russian Federation in attacks on Ukraine.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called for an “urgent investigation” into the debris, believed to be remnants of a drone, discovered on Romanian soil following attacks in Ukraine.

The discovery was made near Plauru, facing Izmail across the Danube. Iohannis stated that if the debris was confirmed to be from a Russian drone, it would constitute a “completely unacceptable and serious violation of Romania’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as a NATO ally.”

Romania has been a member of NATO since March 29, 2004, as part of the Alliance’s largest expansion, which took place before the Istanbul Summit.

Russian drone strikes on Wednesday damaged Ukraine’s Danube River port in Izmail, resulting in fires and civilian injuries.

Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper, in a Telegram message, reported that Russian attack drones struck the Izmail district, injuring seven civilians – six in Reni and one in Izmail. Two Reni residents are in serious condition and are being transported to Odesa’s intensive care unit, while four others remain in moderate condition and continue to receive treatment in Reni.

Following Russia’s withdrawal from a UN-brokered grain deal in July, which allowed grain shipments from Black Sea ports, Russia has escalated attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, critical for agricultural exports.