BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after a maritime drone was discovered drifting dangerously close to the country’s strategically important Neptun Deep offshore gas project, triggering an urgent military and explosive-ordnance response.
The unmanned vessel was spotted by a commercial ship at about 6:28 a.m. local time on Aug. 20, several hundred meters from the Neptun Alpha platform in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, roughly 80 nautical miles east of Constanța.
With critical energy infrastructure and offshore personnel potentially at risk, Romanian authorities immediately sent two Air Force F-16s to investigate and secure the area.
One of the fighter jets opened fire with its onboard cannon, striking the drone but failing to completely destroy it. A Romanian Coast Guard vessel was then dispatched with an explosive-ordnance disposal team from the Naval Forces to inspect the damaged craft.
What specialists discovered raised the stakes.
💥 Explosive Charge Discovered
Romania’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the maritime drone was carrying an explosive charge.
Authorities analyzed information gathered by the F-16s, including tracking data, together with observations made by the responding vessel’s crew. Explosive-ordnance specialists ultimately neutralized the device safely.
No casualties or damage to the Neptun Alpha platform were reported.
The discovery comes as security concerns continue to grow across the Black Sea amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruță said authorities contacted Ukraine through a direct communication channel, with Ukrainian officials reportedly confirming that the drone was not operated by Ukrainian forces.
Romania has not publicly determined who launched the craft or how it reached the area.
President Nicușor Dan criticized what he described as irresponsible incidents and emphasized Romania’s vigilance alongside its NATO partners. Russia has not publicly claimed responsibility.
The incident follows other discoveries near Neptun Deep, including two Gerbera-type unmanned aerial systems found drifting near the project’s perimeter earlier in August.
The repeated incidents have intensified concerns over the security of offshore energy infrastructure. Developed by OMV Petrom and Romgaz, Neptun Deep is expected to begin natural-gas production in 2027 and could significantly increase Romania’s domestic gas output.
For Romanian authorities, the latest episode is a stark reminder that the Black Sea’s growing security risks are reaching critical energy infrastructure—and that threats can arrive without warning.
