Romania to speed up Black Sea defenses after drone attacks on vessels

Romania will accelerate the development of its maritime surveillance capabilities and equipment to counter mines and drones in the Black Sea, following a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels off its coast. The announcement was made by the country's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT).

Over the past two weeks, at least seven cargo vessels have been hit near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, both NATO member states, leaving approximately 30 seafarers dead or missing. On Saturday, October 17, Romanian F-16 fighter pilots shot down two advanced Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters.

Amid the escalation of incidents, NATO confirmed it would deploy additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea region. The CSAT announcement came one day before a new Russian drone attack, on October 23, targeted a cargo vessel located 13 nautical miles off the coast.

The Supreme Council of National Defense stated that the recent attacks on commercial vessels are a direct consequence of Russian aggression extending beyond Ukraine's borders. The body warned that threats to freedom of navigation and to energy infrastructure represent a severe security crisis for the country, and deemed it urgent to implement concrete measures to protect human life, ensure access to national ports and safeguard energy facilities within the Exclusive Economic Zone.

To mitigate these risks, Romania will speed up the deployment of maritime surveillance technologies, naval mine clearance capabilities and the ability to intercept drones illegally violating its airspace and maritime space, along with practical exercises to improve the operational response of its forces. Bucharest will also seek to strengthen cooperation with Bulgaria and Turkey, its partners in the Black Sea basin, and coordinate with NATO on new measures to reinforce the deterrence posture on the eastern flank.