Romania destroyed a Russian-origin marine drone near the Neptun Deep gas project in the Black Sea on Thursday, scrambling F-16 fighter jets after the Coast Guard spotted it near the platform. President Nicușor Dan called it an intensification of irresponsible incidents by Russia, following other recent drone incursions into Romanian territory.
F-16s scrambled over gas platform
Romania's Coast Guard reported the presence of a marine drone a few hundred meters from Neptun Deep's gas extraction operations on Thursday morning, 80 miles east of the city of Constanța. Romania's defense ministry requested NATO authorization to handle the situation, and two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled with orders to engage.
Defense minister Radu-Dinel Miruţă said the jets destroyed the drone to protect the hundreds of personnel working on the platform and to safeguard critical infrastructure. A NATO spokesperson confirmed two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft were scrambled after the maritime drone was detected in Romania's Exclusive Economic Zone, and that one aircraft engaged it successfully.
President accuses Moscow
Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the drone had come from Russia and called the operation "an action against time" in a post on X. He said the incident represented an intensification of irresponsible acts by the Russian Federation and that Romania remains vigilant alongside its NATO allies.
Romanian officials confirmed the drone was not of Ukrainian origin, and investigations indicated only a single drone was involved. Russia's government did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.
A pattern of incursions near critical infrastructure
Once developed, Neptun Deep will make Romania the largest natural gas producer in the European Union, with the platform expected to begin production in 2027. Thursday's incident follows a series of Russian drones entering Romanian airspace in recent months, including one shot down by Romania's Air Force in late July. In May, a Russian drone hit an apartment block in Galați, a city near Romania's border with Ukraine.
Romania shares a border with Ukraine, with Russia lying across the Black Sea.
Source: CNBC
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