Romanian village lives in fear of 'war next door'

Every December, the people of Plauru try to preserve their meat for the long, cold months ahead. But last year, the Romanian fishing village was bracing for something far more chilling than winter. 

The city of Izmail lies just across the border in Ukraine. It's emerged as one of the country's most important shipping hubs since Russia attacked the port of Odesa, destroying key infrastructure. Russia is now taking aim at Izmail, using drones to hit its targets.  These drones sometimes stray into the area around Plauru, flying above the waters where local fishermen cast their nets. Residents say they sometimes stray even further, moving towards the village itself. 

Fear in the air

Daniela Tanase's family had a rude awakening on December 7 when a drone seemed to be flying near their home. "Imagine being woken to hear the artillery fire and the drone buzz," says Tanase. "It was 1:50 in the morning. The house and the bed and everything shook. It felt like we were on the front line."

The Tanases earn a living through fishing, but the conflict is making it harder to put food on the table. "During the day, you can fish, but there are lots of ships," says Costica Tanase. "Wherever you place the nets, ships are sailing over, and destroy them. Now you have nowhere to fish in the first place." 

Residents say it's too dangerous to fish at night because the boat motors sound like Russian drones. They fear Ukrainian forces might shoot at them, thinking they're the enemy.

Economy under fire

Tudor Cernega, the local mayor, says Romania's government hasn't done much to help. "There has to be some kind of economic measure to protect the population which relies on fishing," says Cernega. "These officials like to brag that they did things. Their bellies are probably full, while we could just be left to starve to death."

The Romanian military built two concrete shelters after the drones first started falling on neighboring Izmail. The structures are supposed to provide Plauru's residents with a temporary shelter. But some have left the village for good. Just 40 people now remain, and as winter sets in, so does the cold, hard truth. This is not their war, but is their problem. 

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