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Romanian fighter jet destroys explosive-laden drone in the Black Sea

A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down an explosive drone near the Neptune Alpha gas platform in the Black Sea, the Ministry of Defense reported.

20 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Romanian fighter jet destroys explosive-laden drone in the Black Sea — Photo: NilsGruetzner · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On Thursday afternoon, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed an explosive-laden sea drone near the Neptune Alpha gas platform in the Black Sea, the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest reported. The incident occurred following alerts from the Romanian Coast Guard, which had previously identified an unmanned object near the platform.

The drone was destroyed using the jet's onboard cannon while it was in close proximity to the gas field. Reports indicate that the drone was struck just a few hundred meters from the Neptune Deep production area. The Ministry of Defense clarified that the drone did not originate from Ukraine.

Several sources had previously noted that drones had repeatedly entered Romanian airspace this year. However, the incident on Thursday is considered particularly significant because the drone was equipped with explosives.

Archive photo: Romanian fighter jet destroys explosive-laden drone in the Black Sea — Archive photoPhoto: Opposition 24 · Flickr · BY

Authorities have yet to provide detailed information about the drone's origins and specifics. However, it has been emphasized that this drone did not come from Ukraine, raising questions about its provenance.

Most recently, the Romanian government reported a concerning increase in unmanned aerial vehicles intruding into Romanian airspace. This has already raised concerns about the security of the national air defense.

The situation is being closely monitored by the government in Bucharest to assess potential future threats related to air safety in the Black Sea.

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