Romanian F-16 shoots down Russian explosive drone near Black Sea gas platform

Romania has accused Russia of sending an explosive-laden maritime drone toward a strategically vital offshore gas platform in the Black Sea. The incident occurred on August 20, when the Romanian Coast Guard spotted the unmanned surface vessel just a few hundred meters from the main drilling rig of the Neptun Deep project, where several hundred workers were busy with installation work.

Defense Minister Radu Miruță detailed the operation in a Facebook post. Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the drone. One of them used its cannons to disable the vessel, after which explosive ordnance experts carried out a controlled detonation. According to Miruță, as reported by Reuters, the drone boat was carrying explosives, making it a kamikaze-style threat to both personnel and critical infrastructure.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan directly blamed Russia for the attack. "I strongly condemn the intensification of these types of irresponsible incidents on the part of the Russian Federation," he wrote on X. "We remain vigilant alongside NATO allies to defend ourselves and repel such challenges."

This is the second such incident near the Neptun Deep site this month. On August 11, the Romanian military also detected suspicious drone activity in the same area. The Neptun Deep project is expected to make Romania the largest natural gas producer in the European Union once it reaches full production capacity in 2027. The platform is located in the Black Sea, a region of growing geopolitical tension due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and repeated Russian drone and missile incursions into NATO airspace and waters.