Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two jet-powered Geran-series strike drones over the country’s territorial waters in the Black Sea on October 17, with the Romanian Ministry of National Defense identifying the aircraft as belonging to a type used by Russia in the war in Ukraine.
The ministry said the drones were jet-powered models from the Geran family, the designation Russia uses for Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones. According to BGNES, two separate aircraft destroyed the drones within four minutes of each other.
The Romanian Air Force F-16s took off at 17:43 while conducting an air policing mission. The first drone was destroyed at 18:01 southeast of Sulina, after spending two minutes in Romanian national airspace, while the second was downed at 18:05 east of the same town, five minutes after entering the country’s airspace. The targets were intercepted about 20 kilometers (13 miles) southeast of Sulina, near the Danube Delta.
Romanian authorities have not disclosed where the drones originated.
Following the incident, Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu wrote on X that “The Black Sea will be safe again.” She said NATO would address the situation at a North Atlantic Council meeting on Tuesday.
Țoiu also stressed the importance of the waterway to international trade and security, saying, “The Black Sea is a vital maritime corridor for global exports of grain, energy resources, and industrial goods; therefore, its stability is crucial for international food and energy security.”
The latest incident follows a series of drone attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea within the exclusive economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania.
On October 14, drones struck the Yara J while it was inside Romanian territorial waters. The vessel was anchored 8-10 nautical miles (15-19 kilometers) southeast of Sulina, marking the first reported drone strike against a ship in the territorial waters of a NATO member state.
The following day, drones hit the Wine Trader off Romania‘s coast, about 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Sulina, close to the country’s territorial waters. Of the 12 people aboard, five were reported safe and seven remained missing.
On October 13, two vessels were attacked by drones in Bulgaria’s contiguous zone, while two other commercial ships had been struck a week earlier within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.
Seven commercial vessels were hit by drones off the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts between October 5 and October 15 alone. The official death toll from these attacks has not been confirmed, although the number of people killed could reach 30.
On Friday, the European Council condemned the attacks on ships near Bulgaria and Romania as “unacceptable,” without identifying Russia as responsible. Bulgaria and Romania have meanwhile announced plans to propose establishing a new NATO headquarters in the Black Sea.