Romania's Defense Ministry has "categorically" denied a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claim that at least one Russian drone launched during an overnight attack on a Ukrainian port fell and detonated on Romanian territory.
Kyiv said on September 4 that Russia launched the air strike on Ukrainian port infrastructure, and one of the drones hit across the Danube River in the territory of NATO-member Romania.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry, however, said the information released by Ukraine was false.
"The Ministry of National Defense categorically denies information from the public space regarding a so-called situation that occurred during the night of September 3 to 4 in which Russian drones allegedly fell on the national territory of Romania," it said.
Romania said that it monitored in real time the situation both during the night from September 3 to 4 and the night before.
"At no time did the means of attack used by the Russian Federation generate direct military threats to the national territory or the territorial waters of Romania," the ministry said.
It added that measures to strengthen defenses on the eastern flank had been taken.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said earlier on Facebook that, according to the State Border Service, Iranian-made Shahed drones fell and detonated on the territory of Romania.
This is another confirmation that "Russian missile terror is a huge threat not only to the security of Ukraine, but also to the security of neighboring countries, including NATO member states," Nikolenko said.
Nikolenko published a photo showing flames of an explosion visible from across a river. It was not possible for RFE/RL to verify where and when the photograph was taken.
NATO has a collective defense commitment under which the military alliance considers an attack on one ally to be an attack on all allies. Alliance members have provided Ukraine with military equipment and support but have warned against any moves that could provoke a slide into direct conflict with Russia.
Nikolenko in his Facebook post also urged Ukraine's partners to speed up the supply of modern missile-defense and antiaircraft systems, as well as combat aviation, “which will strengthen the protection of the infrastructure of Ukraine and neighboring countries."
The Russian military said on September 3 that its drone strikes hit the Ukrainian Danube River port of Reni on the border with Romania. It said fuel-storage facilities used to supply the Ukrainian military were the target.
Since July, when Moscow abandoned a deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, it has repeatedly struck Ukrainian river ports that lie across the Danube from Romania.
A Russian drone attack in July on Reni hit a Romanian commercial vessel, slightly damaging it. Romania said at the time that the damage was minor and the crew was not injured.