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Romanian F-16 destroys explosive-laden sea drone in Black Sea

The drone was intercepted just hundreds of yards from the Neptun Deep offshore gas field, as Romania reports a series of incidents linked to the war in neighboring Ukraine

A Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed a sea drone carrying explosives just a few hundred meters from the Neptun Deep offshore gas field in Romanian waters of the Black Sea, Romania’s defense minister said.

Defense Minister Radu Mirta announced the incident in a social media post, saying the unmanned vessel was “loaded with explosives.”

Romanian President Nicusor Dan blamed Russia for sending the drone and “firmly” condemned Moscow over what he described as an escalation of “such irresponsible incidents.”

The episode is the latest in a series of drone-related incidents involving Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine. Allied forces have recently shot down four aerial drones over Romanian territory, with the most recent incident occurring last weekend.

Romanian authorities also reported on Thursday that another aerial drone had crashed following Russian attacks on Ukraine. The drone came down in an uninhabited area about four kilometers northeast of the village of Grindu in eastern Romania, near the Ukrainian border.

The incidents have drawn a broader warning from the European Union. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a growing campaign of threats was destabilizing European citizens and seeking to divide the bloc.

“This is hybrid warfare,” von der Leyen said in a social media post. She added that the EU’s founding mission of preserving peace now also required the ability to deter provocations and aggression.

Von der Leyen also pointed to the European plan to mobilize up to €800 billion for military preparedness.

Through the European Drone Defense Initiative and Eastern Flank Watch, she said, Europe is increasing production to provide member states with the capabilities they need to respond to emerging threats “with speed, unity and determination.”

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