Almost three months after a drone crashed in Botoșani County, the Romanian Ministry of Defense came with clarifications, after the case was reported in the local press.
The MoD confirmed on Thursday the information regarding the crash of an unmanned aerial vehicle of civilian origin in the area of the commune of Unțeni, near the Ukrainian border.
However, the event took place in February and was only made public now.
The small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle, most likely originating from Ukraine, was discovered on February 29 on an extraterritorial land near the village of Mănăstireni, known locally as Valea Grajdului.
Authorities kept the case silent, just like last summer when they concealed information about fragments of Russian drones that crashed in Tulcea (south-east).
Locals were intrigued by the restricted access to the area, so people started to inquire.
The information was confirmed by the spokesperson of the County Police Inspectorate (CPI) Botoșani.
"The information is partially true. Indeed, a small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle was found on extraterritorial land in the commune of Unțeni at the end of February. It was recovered by MoD representatives, and investigations continue to establish its origin and the circumstances in which it crashed," stated Delia Nenișcu, the spokesperson of CPI Botoșani, for the local press.
After the information appeared in the press, only then did the MoD come with details. The drone was of civilian origin and had no weaponry or ammunition.
"On February 29, the Ministry of Internal Affairs requested the support of the Ministry of National Defense for the investigation and analysis of a small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle near the locality of Unteni, Botoșani County, following a report made by a citizen.
A team of specialists from MoD and other institutions within the National Defense System conducted on the same day investigations at the scene and recovered the unmanned aerial vehicle for technical examination.
Following the examinations, it was found that the unmanned aircraft was of civilian origin, not carrying any military-type equipment on board, nor weaponry or ammunition."
The MoD did not specify why the event was not made public on the date it occurred.