Romanian Navy explosive ordnance disposal divers destroyed two Gerbera unmanned aerial vehicles in a controlled detonation in the Black Sea on Tuesday, after the suspected explosive-laden devices were found drifting near the Neptun Deep gas extraction project.
The drones were spotted around 08:00 in Romania's exclusive economic zone, approximately 90 nautical miles off Constanța, by a civilian vessel. Divers recovered a drone wing that posed no explosive risk. Defence Minister Radu Mirutsa released video of the controlled explosion. The Gerbera is a Russian drone type used in strikes on Ukraine, and Ukraine confirmed the devices did not belong to its forces.
Romania, which shares a 614-kilometre border with Ukraine, has frequently encountered drones in its airspace since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey have destroyed more than 150 mines since the conflict started.