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Romania destroys marine drone near Neptun Deep gas project, minister says
Romanian forces said the drones were carrying explosives and destroyed them to protect hundreds of workers at the offshore gas project.
On Thursday, Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to destroy a naval drone carrying explosives spotted a few hundred metres from the Neptun Deep gas project in the Black Sea, Defence Minister Radu Miruta confirmed.
This incident follows similar encounters earlier this month when army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting near the same offshore project. Miruta stated the decision was made "to protect the lives of the several hundred people working on the platform."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen characterized the drone destruction as part of "an escalating campaign of threats" aimed at dividing the Union, emphasizing the need to deter provocation and aggression.
NATO members Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey have neutralized more than 150 mines drifting across the Black Sea, with the three nations agreeing in July to expand their joint task force to protect critical infrastructure from incidents linked to the Russian Federation.
Neptun Deep is expected to make Romania the European Union's largest gas producer by 2027, making the platform a focal point for security as the nation maintains vigilance against maritime provocations and airspace breaches.
A sea drone loaded with explosives has been destroyed by the Romanian Army in the vicinity of the Neptun Deep platform. It was detected around 06:28 a.m. by a commercial ship, as acknowledged by the Ministry of National Defence in a statement, in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Romania and was seen approaching as a threat to Neptun Alpha, about 80 nautical miles east of Constanța. A Coast Guard boat, with an EOD team from the Romanian Naval Force…