German press: 'Neptun Deep, a tempting target'

German media are closely examining a recent incident where a Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed a marine drone carrying explosives near the Neptun Deep energy project. The event underscores the escalating frequency of drone-related incidents along Romania's Black Sea coast, with 27 incursions reported this year and approximately 60 drones or fragments identified on Romanian territory since the start of the war in Ukraine, according to the German daily Tageszeitung (TAZ).

Romania initially responded cautiously to these incidents. However, a law enacted in May 2025 now permits the military to shoot down unauthorized drones entering its airspace. In the past month, four drones have been downed, with assistance from other NATO aircraft stationed in Romania, the newspaper reported. The destruction of the drone near Neptun Deep on August 20 occurred within Romania's exclusive economic zone, approximately 150 kilometers offshore.

TAZ suggests that Neptun Deep could become a "tempting target" because installations within exclusive economic zones are not explicitly covered by NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause. This legal ambiguity might embolden potential aggressors. This is not the first time drones have been observed near Neptun Deep; on August 11, Romanian military divers destroyed two Russian Gerbera-type drones near the project's facilities.

The Neptun Deep offshore gas project, a collaboration between Austria's OMV Petrom and Romania's state-owned Romgaz, is slated to commence production next year. It aims to extract around 8 billion cubic meters of gas annually, potentially making Romania the European Union's largest natural gas producer at full capacity. Experts cited by TAZ believe the intensification of Russian attacks in the Odesa region, near Romania's border, has contributed to the rise in drone incidents.

Military analyst Valentin Mateiu warns that not all these incidents can be dismissed as accidents. He does not rule out the possibility that Russia is conducting hybrid warfare operations to test Romania's response capabilities as a NATO member. These repeated incidents place increasing pressure on Romania's air and maritime defenses, raising questions about the country's ability to protect itself against hybrid threats from Russia.

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nu toate acestea pot fi explicate drept accidente și nu exclude ca Rusia să desfășoare acțiuni de război hibrid menite să testeze capacitatea de reacție a României, stat membru NATO.