Romania Shoots Down Suspected Russian Drones As Black Sea Attacks Threaten NATO

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BUCHAREST/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Romanian F-16 fighter jets have shot down two suspected Russian drones over the country’s territorial waters in the Black Sea, as regional security tensions escalate following a series of attacks on commercial vessels that left sailors dead or missing near the territory of the NATO military alliance.

Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruță said Sunday that the drones appeared to be advanced Russian-made Geran-4 aircraft.

“The ones from last night were flying at 450 km/h, which leads us to think they were Russian-made Geran-4 drones with a turboprop engine,” Miruță said. “This is the first time we’ve shot down drones like these,” he added, highlighting the growing threat posed by increasingly sophisticated unmanned aircraft.

Romania’s Defense Ministry said the drones entered Romanian territorial waters in the Black Sea at 5:59 p.m. and 6:01 p.m. local time Saturday, before being shot down by F-16 fighter jets at 6:01 p.m. and 6:05 p.m., respectively.

The interceptions followed drone strikes against two chemical tankers anchored near Romania’s Black Sea coast earlier in the week, raising concerns about the safety of commercial shipping along NATO’s eastern flank.

ROMANIA SEEKS NATO DEFENSES

Both vessels were near the Sulina Canal, a strategic waterway connecting the Danube River to the Black Sea and serving as an important export route for neighboring Ukraine.

A NATO military source agreed with Bucharest’s assessment that Russian drones were responsible for the tanker attacks, although Moscow has not publicly acknowledged responsibility.

Romanian officials were still searching for seven missing crew members following the attacks, underscoring the growing human cost of escalating hostilities in the Black Sea.

Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s principal political decision-making body, would meet Tuesday to discuss defense and deterrence in the Black Sea region.

Romania shares a 614-kilometer (381-mile) border with Ukraine, much of it following the Danube River, and has repeatedly reported Russian drones entering its airspace since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier this year, Romanian authorities began shooting down drones entering the country’s airspace, reflecting growing concerns that Russian attacks against Ukraine could spill across international borders.

BULGARIA SEEKS NATO AIRCRAFT

In neighboring Bulgaria, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said Sunday that aircraft from another NATO member were expected to arrive as the country sought to strengthen its defenses against growing drone threats in the Black Sea.

Bulgaria formally requested additional NATO combat aircraft, air defense equipment and counter-drone systems on Friday, with Stoyanov saying discussions with the alliance were continuing.

The move followed two waves of drone attacks on October 6 and 13, when four commercial vessels were struck off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Two ships sank, leaving a total of 21 sailors reported dead or missing.

On October 6, the Turkish-owned Alfa Watan sank in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, leaving all 10 crew members missing, including nine Syrians and one Egyptian.

Bulgarian authorities later abandoned the search after finding no survivors. All 18 crew members aboard another damaged vessel, the Able, were rescued.

MORE SAILORS MISSING

A week later, on October 13, the HS Dignity sank near the coastal village of Krapets, close to the Romanian border, leaving another 11 sailors missing in initial reports. Five crew members were rescued.

Another vessel, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea-3, was struck by three drones, but all 15 crew members, including seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, survived.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attacks as unacceptable and appealed to NATO and the European Union for assistance in strengthening maritime and airspace surveillance.

His government has also proposed a moratorium on attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea and expects to join NATO’s counter-drone defense initiative by the end of October.

Bulgarian officials have stopped short of definitively blaming Moscow for the attacks. However Radev said the incidents appeared to benefit Russia, while Russian representatives denied having information establishing Russian responsibility.

RUSSIAN DRONES HIT MOLDOVA

Further north, neighboring Moldova also reported new drone incidents, underscoring the widening regional impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Authorities said another unmanned aircraft crashed in a northern district near the Ukrainian border, although no casualties or property damage were reported.

Specialists were examining the wreckage to establish the drone’s origin.

Moldovan officials said five drones identified as Russian had fallen on the country’s territory within just over 17 hours on Thursday and Friday.

Moldova’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incidents, accusing Russia of threatening the country’s security and violating its sovereignty.

NATO RESPONDS TO THREATS

Most of the attacks on commercial vessels occurred outside NATO territorial waters, but the military alliance made clear it was prepared to defend its members around the clock. “NATO is ready and able to react to any potential threat, 24/7, to safeguard our territory and protect our people,” a NATO official told Reuters news agency.

The incidents have also raised questions about whether further escalation could trigger Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, which considers an armed attack against one member an attack against all. However, the provision is not automatically invoked by every drone incursion or maritime incident.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also pledged continued cooperation with Romania and Bulgaria, saying the alliance would adjust its regional defenses as needed.

Unlike Romania and Bulgaria, Moldova is not a NATO member, leaving the small Eastern European nation particularly exposed to the consequences of the war in neighboring Ukraine.

The Black Sea is a vital commercial corridor for agricultural exports, energy shipments, and other goods moving between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

FEARS OF WIDER CONFLICT

Attacks against civilian vessels also threaten crews from countries far removed from the fighting, widening the humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict.

For Romania and Bulgaria, the latest incidents highlight the increasingly difficult task of protecting national territory and international shipping routes while avoiding a direct military confrontation with Russia.

The growing number of drone attacks illustrates how Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year, is placing additional pressure on neighboring countries and threatening the stability of one of Europe’s most strategically important maritime regions.

For commercial sailors navigating the Black Sea, the attacks have turned an already dangerous shipping corridor into an increasingly unpredictable environment, where civilian vessels risk becoming casualties of a war extending far beyond Ukraine’s borders.