BUCHAREST, Aug 20 (Reuters) – Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to destroy a marine drone spotted a few hundred metres from the Black Sea gas project Neptun Deep, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Thursday.
The incident underscores the growing threat to critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea from drones and mines linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Neptun Deep expected to make Romania the European Union’s largest gas producer when it comes onstream in 2027.
NATO-member Romania shares a 614-km (382-mile) land border with Ukraine and has seen Russian drones breaching its airspace over the last four years and mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade and energy routes.
Thursday’s incident follows similar action earlier this month when army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in the exclusive economic zone near the offshore Neptun Deep project.
“In order to protect the lives of the several hundred people working on the platform and to secure critical infrastructure, the decision was made to destroy (the marine drone),” Miruta said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
In a later post, he confirmed the drone — which was hit by the fighter jet and completely destroyed by a ship that arrived at the location — contained explosives.
Miruta did not state the origin of the drone but said Ukraine had confirmed that it did not belong to its forces.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan blamed Russia.
“I strongly condemn the intensification of these types of irresponsible incidents on the part of the Russian Federation,” he wrote in a separate Facebook statement. “We remain vigilant alongside NATO allies to defend ourselves and repel such challenges.”
The Russian government had no immediate public comment on the incident.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the incident was part of “an escalating campaign of threats”.
NATO states Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, which share the Black Sea with Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, have neutralised more than 150 mines drifting across trade lanes.
The three states in July agreed to expand a joint task force that clears mines floating in the Black Sea to include missions to protect critical infrastructure.
Romania’s Neptun Deep is jointly owned by OMV Petrom and state gas producer Romgaz.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie. Writing by Jason Hovet. Editing by Hugh Lawson and Mark Potter)
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