BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after a maritime drone carrying an explosive charge was discovered near the strategically important Neptun Deep offshore gas project in the Black Sea, triggering a rapid military and explosive-ordnance response.
The unmanned vessel was spotted by a commercial ship at approximately 6:28 a.m. local time on Aug. 20, several hundred meters from the Neptun Alpha platform. The facility is located roughly 80 nautical miles east of Constanța, inside Romania’s exclusive economic zone.
Concerned about the drone’s proximity to critical energy infrastructure, Romanian authorities immediately deployed two Air Force F-16s to investigate and secure the area.
One of the fighter jets fired its onboard cannon at the unmanned vessel, damaging it but failing to completely destroy the craft. A Romanian Coast Guard vessel carrying an explosive-ordnance disposal team from the Naval Forces was subsequently dispatched to the scene.
💣 Explosive Charge Discovered
Romania’s Defense Ministry later confirmed that the maritime drone was carrying an explosive charge.
Tracking information gathered by the F-16s, combined with observations from the responding vessel’s crew, indicated that the incident involved a single unmanned craft. Romanian EOD specialists then safely neutralized the explosive device.
The discovery immediately raised concerns over the security of offshore energy infrastructure and personnel working at the Neptun Alpha platform.
Authorities have not determined who launched the drone or where it originated.
⚠️ Russia-Ukraine War Raises Black Sea Security Concerns
The incident occurred amid heightened security concerns in the Black Sea linked to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruță said officials contacted Ukraine through a direct communication channel and received confirmation that the drone was not operated by Ukrainian forces. Romania has not publicly identified its origin.
President Nicușor Dan has blamed Russia for what he described as irresponsible incidents, while emphasizing that Romania will remain vigilant alongside its NATO allies. Moscow has not publicly claimed responsibility for the maritime drone.
The latest discovery follows other incidents near the same offshore energy project. Earlier in August, Romanian naval explosive-ordnance divers destroyed two Gerbera-type unmanned aerial systems found drifting near the Neptun Deep perimeter. Ukraine also said those systems were not Ukrainian.
🛢️ Neptun Deep Project Faces Growing Security Concerns
The repeated incidents have highlighted the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea.
Neptun Deep, jointly developed by OMV Petrom and Romgaz, is expected to begin natural-gas production in 2027. The project is viewed as strategically important to Romania’s energy security and could significantly increase the country’s domestic gas production.
With Romania positioned on NATO’s southeastern flank and close to the war in Ukraine, officials face growing challenges protecting offshore facilities, commercial shipping and personnel.
The latest incident ended without reported casualties or damage to the gas platform, but it underscored the increasingly complex security environment surrounding Romania’s Black Sea waters.
