Romanian President: We remain vigilant with NATO allies after drone destruction

Romanian President Nicușor Dan has commended the Romanian Air Force pilots for their successful mission in destroying a naval drone operating near the Neptun Deep platform in the Black Sea. The drone's presence was initially detected by a commercial vessel, prompting swift action from the Coast Guard and the establishment of a command cell within the Ministry of National Defense.

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I congratulate the Romanian Army and the pilots of the two Romanian F-16 fighter jets for the successful mission of destroying the naval drone located near the Neptun Deep platform in the Black Sea. I also congratulate the Coast Guard for the promptness with which it signaled the drone's presence in the area.

"I congratulate the Romanian Army and the pilots of the two Romanian F-16 fighter jets for the successful mission of destroying the naval drone located near the Neptun Deep platform in the Black Sea," President Dan stated in a post on X. He also praised the Coast Guard for its promptness in reporting the drone's presence in the area. The President emphasized that the operation was a race against time, with the primary focus on protecting the lives of personnel working on the platform and safeguarding critical infrastructure.

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An operation against time, in which the top priority was protecting the lives of the people working on the platform and keeping the critical infrastructure out of any potential danger.

President Dan firmly condemned what he described as "the intensification of these irresponsible incidents by the Russian Federation." He affirmed Romania's commitment to remaining vigilant alongside its NATO allies to defend against and repel such provocations. The Ministry of National Defense announced that a Coast Guard vessel carrying a Romanian Naval Forces EOD team was dispatched to the area for further investigations.

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I condemn with all firmness the intensification of these irresponsible incidents by the Russian Federation.

Initial reports indicate that the destroyed drone is not of Ukrainian origin. Following its detection, a command cell was activated at the national defense level, which then requested NATO's authorization for the Romanian Army to take command of the situation. The incident highlights ongoing security concerns in the Black Sea region.

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We remain vigilant alongside NATO allies to defend ourselves and repel such provocations.