President: Drone Incidents Pose Risk of Escalating Military Conflict

Bratislava, 5 June (TASR) - Any incidents involving drones that occur on the territory of other countries, regardless of where they came from or how they arrived, pose a serious risk of escalating military conflict and endanger the lives and health of people in countries that have nothing to do with the war, President Peter Pellegrini has stated in connection with the explosion of a naval drone in the Romanian port city of Constanta. According to the head of state, however, such incidents should garner significantly greater attention from all political parties in Slovakia so that legislation can be adopted as soon as possible to enable the Slovak Armed Forces to intervene effectively in the event of a similar threat over Slovak territory. "The General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces has long been calling for such an initiative, and so it's high time for politicians to respond and help to protect the lives and health of our citizens effectively," said Pellegrini. A naval drone used in the war in Ukraine exploded at sea near the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta on Friday. The blast damaged an industrial hall belonging to a private company. No casualties or injuries have been reported. The authorities are checking whether there are other similar devices in the vicinity of the site of the explosion. The incident occurred a week after a residential building in the Romanian city of Galati, located near the border with Ukraine, was struck by a Russian drone, according to Bucharest. am/df.