BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after a small maritime drone was discovered drifting just a few hundred meters from the Neptun Alpha offshore platform, part of the strategically important Neptun Deep natural-gas project in the Black Sea.
The drone was reported by a commercial vessel at approximately 6:28 a.m. local time on August 20, inside Romania’s exclusive economic zone and roughly 80 nautical miles east of Constanța. With hundreds of workers operating in the area and critical energy infrastructure nearby, Romanian authorities moved quickly to secure the site.
Two Romanian Air Force F-16s were dispatched to investigate. One aircraft engaged the maritime drone with its onboard cannon, striking the vessel but not completely destroying it.
A Romanian Coast Guard ship carrying an explosive-ordnance disposal team from the Naval Forces was then sent to the scene. Specialists inspected the damaged drone and ultimately neutralized it safely.
💥 Explosives Found on Drone
Romania’s Defense Ministry later confirmed that the drone was carrying an explosive charge.
Officials said analysis of tracking data from the F-16s, combined with information gathered by the crew of the responding vessel, confirmed that a single maritime drone was involved. The EOD team neutralized the device after the fighter jet’s attack.
No casualties or damage to the Neptun Deep facilities were reported.
Defense Minister Radu Miruță said the decision to destroy the drone was made to protect the people working at the platform and secure critical infrastructure. According to Romanian authorities, a direct communication channel with Ukraine was used to determine whether the drone originated there, with Ukrainian officials confirming that it was not Ukrainian.
The origin of the drone has not been independently established. Romanian President Nicușor Dan publicly blamed Russia and described the incident as part of what he called an intensification of irresponsible incidents, while emphasizing Romania’s continued coordination with NATO allies.
⚠️ Growing Black Sea Security Concerns
The incident comes amid heightened security risks across the Black Sea following Russia’s war against Ukraine. Romania has previously dealt with drones and other military-related debris entering or appearing near its territory and maritime areas.
Just days earlier, Romanian authorities reported recovering part of a drone near the Neptun Alpha platform after it was spotted by a commercial vessel approximately 83 nautical miles east of Constanța.
The repeated incidents have raised concerns about the vulnerability of offshore energy infrastructure as Romania prepares to develop Neptun Deep, a major natural-gas project operated by OMV Petrom and Romgaz.
The project is expected to begin production in 2027 and is projected to significantly increase Romania’s domestic natural-gas output.
For Romanian authorities, the latest incident demonstrated how quickly a maritime threat can move from an unidentified object at sea to a potential danger for workers and critical infrastructure.
The drone was ultimately neutralized without casualties, but its discovery—and the explosives found aboard—has added another layer to the growing security challenges facing Romania and the wider Black Sea region.
