Romania destroys drone near Neptun Deep gas field, blames Russia
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- Romanian Defence Ministry said an F-16 destroyed a marine drone "loaded with explosives" spotted 80 nautical miles east of Constanta, hundreds of metres from the Neptun Deep gas project, with Defence Minister Radu Miruta stating it "did not originate from Ukraine".
- President Nicusor Dan blamed Russia for "irresponsible escalation," while European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen labeled the incident "hybrid warfare" and condemned an "escalating campaign of threats" against the EU.
- Neptun Deep, the offshore gas project near the strike, is due to start production in 2027 and currently has hundreds of workers on site, according to the Romanian government.
- NATO has shot down four aerial drones in Romania in recent weeks, and a separate drone crashed in an unpopulated area near Grindu, close to the Ukrainian border, on the same day as the Neptun Deep incident.
- In early June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded in Romania's Constanta port without casualties — Kyiv said it was knocked off course by Russian electronic interference, complicating attribution.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a global response to Moscow's "escalation" after Russian bombardments killed at least 16 people in Kyiv and surrounding areas overnight.
Why it matters: Neptun Deep — Romania's flagship offshore gas project, set to begin production in 2027 with hundreds of workers on site — is a high-value energy infrastructure target, and the same day another drone crashed inland near the Ukrainian border. With NATO having shot down four Romanian drones in recent weeks, the incident reflects a sustained drone threat to NATO border infrastructure rather than a one-off event.
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