Full story
Drones near Neptun Deep
Romanian army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in Romania’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone near the offshore gas project Neptun Deep on Aug. 11, Defence Minister Radu Miruță said.
“about 90 nautical miles – roughly 167 kilometers – east of the Black Sea port city of Constanța”
Miruță reported the drones were found about 90 nautical miles (roughly 167 kilometers) east of Constanța, after a civilian vessel working near Neptun Deep spotted the objects and alerted Romanian authorities.
Romanian Coast Guard personnel then dispatched explosive ordnance disposal divers to the site, where authorities identified two drifting UAVs and additional pieces of wreckage.
Romania ordered the drones destroyed in controlled explosions because of the potential danger they posed to vessels and operations around the offshore energy project.
Reuters later quoted Miruță saying, "For the safety of the shipping lane and the works being carried out around the platform, the decision was made to carry out a controlled destruction by detonation."
Ukraine denies origin
Miruță said Romania contacted Ukrainian partners to determine whether the drones could have originated from Ukrainian forces, and he reported that the systems did not belong to them.
In a Reuters account, Miruță said, "The defence ministry contacted Ukrainian partners, who confirmed that the systems do not belong to them."
The Kyiv Post similarly quoted Miruță reporting that "the Ministry of National Defense contacted our Ukrainian partners, who confirmed that these systems did not belong to them."
Romanian authorities also said the precise origin of the drones had not yet been established, even as the Gerbera-type platform was described as Russian-produced and used by Moscow during attacks against Ukraine.
The Kyiv Post added that the operation followed Romania’s earlier drone response, including an F-16 shot down on July 24 and another on July 26 near Sulina, which President Nicușor Dan condemned as “inadmissible and intolerable.”
Energy stakes and NATO flank
Neptun Deep is jointly owned by OMV Petrom and Romanian state-controlled gas producer Romgaz, and the Kyiv Post said production is expected to begin in 2027 and could help make Romania the EU’s largest natural gas producer.
“could help make Romania the EU’s largest natural gas producer”
Reuters likewise said Neptun Deep is due to come onstream in 2027 and make Romania the European Union’s largest gas producer, while noting the NATO state shares a 614-km (382-mile) land border with Ukraine.
The Kyiv Post tied the drone incident to an energy-security dimension on NATO’s Black Sea flank, describing Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey as already clearing more than 150 drifting mines since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In Reuters’ framing, the controlled destruction was intended to protect the shipping lane and the works around the platform, with NATO states expanding a joint task force in July to include missions to protect critical infrastructure.
The Kyiv Post also reported that Romanian authorities said Russian drones had violated the country’s airspace more than 30 times since Moscow began repeatedly attacking Ukrainian Danube ports across the border, and it quoted President Nicușor Dan condemning the incursions as “inadmissible and intolerable.”