President Nicusor Dan blamed Russia for the explosive-laden maritime drone in the Black Sea – another indication of the security risks that Romania faces as the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues.
The Romanian ‘King Ferdinand’ frigate off the coast of Constanta, August 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT.
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet used its onboard cannon to destroy an explosive-laden maritime drone in the country’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Thursday.
Miruta said Romanian officials had been alerted earlier
Miruta said Romanian officials had been alerted earlier on Thursday by the Coast Guard about a maritime drone spotted several hundred metres from the offshore facilities used for gas extraction at Neptun Deep, some 80 nautical miles east of Constanta, the country’s main city on the Black Sea coast.
“A command cell was established within the Defence Ministry, which requested that NATO assume command at the level of the Romanian Armed Forces. Following an assessment and in coordination with the president of Romania, a decision was made to destroy the drone in order to protect the lives of the several hundred people working on the platform and secure critical infrastructure,” the defence minister said.
“For the sake of speed, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled with orders to fire. The drone was safely destroyed. It was carrying explosives,” Miruta added.
The minister said that, through a recently established
The minister said that, through a recently established direct communication channel with Ukrainian authorities, he had received official confirmation that the drone was not of Ukrainian origin.
President Nicusor Dan put the blame on Russia.
“I strongly condemn the intensification of these irresponsible incidents by the Russian Federation. We remain vigilant alongside our NATO allies to defend ourselves and repel such provocations,” Dan said in apost on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said in apublic statementthat “an escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union. This is hybrid warfare.”
She added: With the European Drone Defence Initiative
She added: “With the European Drone Defence Initiative and the Eastern Flank Watch, we are scaling up production in Europe to deliver capabilities Member States need. So we can respond to emerging threats with speed, unity and resolve.”
This is not the first time drones have been destroyed in Romania’s exclusive economic zone near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project. On August 11, Romanian army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones that had been drifting in the Black Sea.
Neptun Deep, jointly developed by OMV Petrom and state-owned gas producer Romgaz, contains an estimated 100 billion cubic metres of recoverable natural gas across two offshore fields.
The project involves investments of around 4 billion
The project involves investments of around 4 billion euros and is expected to start production in 2027, producing approximately 8 billion cubic metres of gas annually and nearly doubling Romania’s domestic gas output, strengthening energy security in the European Union.
In recent weeks, Romania has been facing an increasing number of drone incursions following the intensification of Russian attacks on Ukrainian maritime facilities along the Danube, near the Romanian border. It has shot down four drones that violated its airspace.
Two NATO F-18 fighter jets were scrambled on Thursday morning after an unidentified drone entered the country’s airspace, according to the Defence Ministry. The drone flew 13 kilometres over Romanian territory before crashing in an uninhabited area, causing no casualties.
Source: balkaninsight.com
