Romania: Sea drone near gas platform destroyed by fighter jet

A Romanian F-16 fighter jet successfully destroyed a sea drone carrying explosives near the "Neptun Alpha" natural gas platform in the Black Sea on Thursday. The incident occurred when the Romanian coast guard detected the unmanned object a few hundred meters from the platform and issued an alert.

Following the alarm, an emergency response team was convened. Interim Defense Minister Radu Miruta reported that the team initially sought authorization from NATO before dispatching two Romanian Air Force fighter jets. Given the danger posed to the platform's workers, the jets received a direct order to destroy the sea drone, which was confirmed to be loaded with explosives and detonated after being hit.

Miruta also added that Ukrainian authorities officially clarified, when asked by Romanian officials, that the destroyed drone was not of Ukrainian origin. This statement comes after Romanian military divers had previously disposed of two Gerbera-type aerial drones found drifting near the "Neptun Alpha" platform ten days prior.

The "Neptun Deep" offshore project, located in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea, represents the country's largest natural gas endeavor. It is being jointly developed by Petrom, a subsidiary of OMV, and the Romanian state-owned company Romgaz.

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The sea drone was loaded with explosives and was neutralized with the onboard cannon of a Romanian F-16 fighter jet.