Romania destroys marine drone near Neptun Deep gas project, minister says

BUCHAREST, Aug 20 - Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to destroy a marine drone spotted a few hundred metres from the Black Sea gas project Neptun Deep, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Thursday.

A Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed an explosives-laden marine drone near the strategic Neptun Deep gas project on Thursday, as Bucharest blamed Russia for the incident. The attack comes amid growing drone activity along NATO’s eastern flank and renewed Russian strikes on Ukraine.

20 August 2026 A Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed a maritime drone near the Neptun Deep offshore gas platform in the Black Sea on Thursday, August 20, interim defense minister Radu Miruță announced. The operation was ordered to protect several hundred people working at the site and secure the critical infrastructure