Emergency intervention of the Romanian Army After a small marine drone, which was moving towards the natural gas extraction platform, was detected a few hundred meters from the Neptun Deep construction site. Two F-16s took off with a firing order, and one of the aircraft hit the target with the on-board cannon. President Nicușor Dan congratulated the military for the successful mission.

(Staff: Romania / Security & Defense)

A serious incident took place on Thursday morning in the Black Sea, in the exclusive economic zone of Romania. A small marine drone, approaching the Neptun Deep natural gas extraction platform, was detected and destroyed by a Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet. The decision to hire the target was taken at the highest level, to protect the lives of the several hundred workers on the platform and to secure the critical infrastructure. .

Romanian Army Emergency Intervention

It all started around 06:28, when a commercial ship signaled the presence of a drift maritime drone near the Neptun Alpha Platform, about 80 nautical miles east of Constanța. The Coast Guard immediately informed the authorities, and at the level of the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) an command cell was activated. .

To ensure a quick and efficient intervention, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were lifted from the ground, receiving a firing order. One of the aircraft engaged the target and fired with the on-board cannon, hitting the marine drone. As a result of the impact, it was confirmed that the device had a strong explosive charge.. .

Minister Miruță: The drone was not of Ukrainian origin

The interim Minister of Defense, Radu Miruță, made the first statements on social networks, stating that the drone was safely destroyed and that, through the channel of direct communication with the Ukrainian side, official confirmation was received that it is not Ukrainian origin. Initially, the minister wrote that the drone was loaded with explosives, but later edited the post, and MApN did not officially confirm this information, limiting itself to conveying that an EOD team of the Romanian Naval Forces is moving to the scene for checks. .

President Nicușor Dan’s reaction

The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, reacted promptly, congratulating the Romanian Army and the pilots of the two F-16 planes for the success of the mission. He also sent congratulations to the Coast Guard for the promptness with which he reported the presence of the drone in the area. “An action against time, in which the zero priority was to protect the lives of people working on the platform and keep the critical infrastructure out of any potential danger,” the president wrote on Platform X. He strongly condemned the intensification of these types of irresponsible incidents from the Russian Federation and emphasized That Romania remains vigilant alongside NATO allies.

The context of the Black Sea tensions

Thursday’s incident is not an isolated one. Recently, the Black Sea area has become the scene of increasingly frequent challenges. On August 11, the EOD divers of the Romanian army destroyed two gerbera-type drones in a controlled manner, found adrift in the exclusive economic zone. Also, on July 24, a Romanian F-16 shot down a drone over the territory of Romania for the first time. These events emphasize an intensification of unidentified activity in Romania’s air and maritime space, in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Conclusion

The rapid and decisive intervention of the Romanian Army in the case of the marine drone from Neptun Deep demonstrates the operational capacity of the Air Force and the determination of the authorities to protect the critical infrastructure and people’s lives. The increasingly frequent presence of such devices near Romania’s borders raises alarm signals regarding regional security and the need for increased vigilance, in coordination with NATO allies.