Romania Destroys Drones Near Offshore Gas Project

Romanian military divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in Romania’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea near the offshore Neptun Deep gas project, Defense Minister Radu Miruta said on Tuesday.

The drones were spotted by a civilian vessel operating near the project site. The Defense Ministry subsequently decided to destroy them in a controlled explosion to protect shipping and work being carried out around the platform.

Miruta did not specify the origin of the drones. Romania contacted Ukraine, which, according to the minister, confirmed that the devices did not belong to its armed forces.

Romania, a NATO member that shares a 614 km border with Ukraine, has seen Russian drones repeatedly violate its airspace in recent years. In July, Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down three Russian drones over three consecutive days.

Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have neutralized more than 150 mines drifting across key Black Sea trade routes. In July, the three NATO countries agreed to expand their joint mine-clearing task force to include missions to protect critical infrastructure.

Neptun Deep is expected to begin gas production in 2027 and help make Romania the largest gas producer in the European Union.

(Reuters, mja)