Former NATO Commander Accuses Adrian Veștea of Blocking Military Mobility Projects at Cincu

A former NATO commander has accused Adrian Veștea, Romania's prime minister-designate, of poor management that significantly hindered military mobility to the Cincu training ground. General (Ret.) Dorin Toma, who led NATO's Southeast Multinational Division Command from 2022 to 2025, stated that Veștea's actions during his tenures as head of the Brașov County Council and the Ministry of Development caused four years of delays.

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With great surprise, we learned about the new designation for the position of Prime Minister of Romania. Unfortunately, both for the NATO Command that I led between 2022-2025, and for the contingents detached in Romania by various allied states, efforts to ensure access and military mobility in the Cincu polygon area were met (...) with the disinterest and flawed management of the Brașov County Council and the Ministry of Development. Both institutions were led in this time interval by the newly designated person.

Toma claims these delays forced allied troops and French Leclerc tanks to travel hundreds of kilometers out of their way to reach Cincu. This situation allegedly sparked a diplomatic crisis, requiring intervention from the French, Belgian, and Luxembourgish ambassadors. Theodor Paleologu, commenting on Toma's post, confirmed his awareness of the situation, stating, "I know the situation. You are right."

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I know the situation. You are right.

The infrastructure projects in question included the demolition and reconstruction of a bridge over the Olt River at Voila, managed by the Brașov County Council and funded through the National Local Development Program (PNDL). Toma asserts that convoys were compelled to use alternative routes through Sibiu County or secondary roads in the Făgăraș region, adding significant mileage and delays to each transport. He also noted that heavy NATO equipment, like the French tanks, could not use an improvised route across a dam due to weight restrictions, necessitating the lengthy detours.

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Heavy convoys were forced to travel through Sibiu county or on other secondary routes in the Făgăraș region, adding tens of kilometers and many hours of delay to each transport.