Romanian F-16s shot down a maritime drone in the Black Sea
Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets, which shot down a maritime drone near the Neptun Alpha gas platform in the Black Sea. The European Commission called the incident an act of hybrid warfare.
"On Thursday, August 20, two F-16 fighter jets of the Romanian Air Force took off toward a location in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, near the Neptun Alpha platform, approximately 80 nautical miles east of Constanța, within Romania’s exclusive economic zone. One of the aircraft attacked the target and fired a shot from its onboard cannon, successfully hitting it,” the Romanian Ministry of Defense reported.
As noted, “a commercial vessel reported the presence of a drifting maritime drone at approximately 06:28.”
A coast guard vessel carrying a team of explosive ordnance disposal specialists from the Romanian Navy reportedly headed to the drone’s location to conduct an inspection. The Romanian Ministry of Defense noted that the mission is ongoing.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense also provided an update regarding the drone’s crash.
"Regarding the incident recorded on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, August 20, when a drone entered national airspace and crashed near the town of Grindu, Tulcea County, specialized teams from the Ministry of National Defense and the Border Police conducted an investigation and secured the area. Following on-site inspections, it was determined that the fragments pose no pyrotechnic hazard. The remains of the drone were seized by the Border Police for further investigation. "The case has been taken over by the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Constanta Court of Appeals," the statement reads.
EU Reaction
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to the incident.
"Today, Romania destroyed a maritime drone carrying explosives near its Neptun Deep platform in the Black Sea. The campaign of threats is escalating, alarming our citizens and seeking to divide our Union. This is a hybrid war," von der Leyen stated on X.
She emphasized: “Our Union’s primary mission is to preserve peace. Today, this also means having the capacity to deter provocations and aggression.”
“Our Readiness 2030 agenda mobilizes up to 800 billion euros. Through the European Drone Defense Initiative and Eastern Flank Watch, we are increasing production in Europe to provide the capabilities needed by member states. In this way, we can respond to new threats quickly, with unity, and decisively,” she noted.
The country’s Ministry of Defense reported the incident.
Romania shot down its fourth Russian drone over its territory in 2026.
As a reminder, on Sunday, August 2, air raid sirens were sounded for the civilian population in eastern Romania for the second time that day. The Ministry of Defense’s radar surveillance system detected an aerial target near the river border with Ukraine at 3:09 p.m.
In Poland, during a massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine on the night of July 29–30, an air raid alert was issued in part of the Lublin Voivodeship. After the alert ended, a crater approximately 10 meters in diameter and debris from an unidentified object were discovered in a field near the villages of Tarnava-Kolonia and Tokary.
