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Romanian F-16 Destroys Maritime Drone in Black Sea Near Constanța
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A Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed a maritime drone in the Black Sea near the coast of Constanța on August 20, according to Romania’s Ministry of National Defence on August 20.
Two Romanian Air Force F-16s were scrambled after a small maritime drone was detected in Romania’s exclusive economic zone near the Neptun Alpha platform, approximately 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers; 92 miles) east of Constanța.
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One of the fighter jets acquired the target and opened fire with its onboard cannon, successfully striking the drone, the ministry said.
The presence of the drone, which was drifting at sea, was initially reported by a commercial vessel at around 6:28 a.m. local time.
A Romanian Coast Guard vessel carrying a Romanian Navy explosive ordnance disposal team was subsequently dispatched to the area to inspect the drone. The operation remains ongoing.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan praised the military and the pilots involved in the operation, saying their priority had been to protect personnel working on the offshore platform and safeguard critical infrastructure.
“It was an operation against the clock, in which the main priority was ensuring the safety of the people working on the platform and protecting critical infrastructure from any potential danger,” Dan wrote in Facebook.
The Romanian president also condemned what he described as an increasing number of incidents involving Russia and stressed that Romania would continue working with its NATO allies to protect the country.
“I strongly condemn the growing number of such irresponsible incidents by the Russian Federation. We remain vigilant alongside our NATO allies to defend ourselves and repel similar provocations,” the president concluded.
The incident came hours after another drone crossed into Romanian airspace overnight on August 20 and crashed in an uninhabited area of Tulcea County, prompting Romanian authorities to scramble military aircraft and issue a public alert.
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