Romania builds air-raid shelters near Ukraine border

NATO member Romania announced on Tuesday (Sep 12) that it has begun building air-raid shelters for residents near the Ukraine border, after drone fragments were found there last week.

NATO member Romania announced on Tuesday (Sep 12) that it has begun building air-raid shelters for residents near the Ukraine border, after drone fragments were found there last week.

Romanian soldiers on Saturday found fragments of a drone "similar to those used by the Russian army" in the Plauru area across the border from Ukraine.

Bucharest has already beefed up measures to strengthen monitoring and airspace security following repeated Russian attacks close to its border.

Approximately 50 Romanian soldiers began building two shelters on Tuesday, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The concrete shelters are aimed at "protecting the residents" of Plauru and will be handed over to local authorities once completed, it added.

The move follows a decision by the Romanian National Committee for Emergency Situations to adopt "protection measures on the national territory in the immediate vicinity of the conflict zone in Ukraine".

Romanians living in the area close to the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail will also be alerted on their phones in case of any "risk from the fall of elements" related to the war.