Romanian F-16 Destroys Sea Drone Near Black Sea Gas Platform

A Romanian F-16 fighter jet blew up a sea drone near the Neptun Deep gas platform in the Black Sea this morning, with the country’s president blaming the incident on Russia.

Romania’s Ministry of National Defense initially said the uncrewed vessel was carrying explosives, but later clarified it was a maritime drone.

President Nicușor Dan condemned Russia in a statement accusing Moscow of endangering “critical infrastructure” and people “working at the platform.”

“I strongly condemn the intensification of these types of irresponsible incidents on the part of the Russian Federation,” he wrote in a post on X.

European Commission President Von der Leyen also weighed in on the incident, lending European solidarity to Romania. “An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union,” she wrote on X.

“With the European Drone Defence Initiative and the Eastern Flank Watch, we are scaling up production in Europe ... So we can respond to emerging threats with speed, unity and resolve.”

According to a Facebook post by Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruță, the drone was spotted by Romania’s Coast Guard a few hundred meters from the Neptun Deep platform, where several hundred people were working. After consulting the president, Romanian authorities scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and ordered the drone be destroyed.

Miruță said the drone had not come from its neighbor: “Through the direct communication channel recently created with the Ukrainian side, I received the official confirmation that it is not of Ukrainian origin.”

Neptun Deep is Romania’s largest natural gas development and is located in the Black Sea. Romania began developing the project in 2023, with the first gas to be extracted in 2027; it is expected to help Romania become the EU’s largest producer of natural gas.

NATO allies have previously raised concerns about protecting Neptun Deep from Russian drone attacks. Von der Leyen called the incident “hybrid warfare.”

The Russian embassy in Romania did not immediately respond to a request for comment.