EU chief calls Romania drone strike part of escalating Black Sea threats
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Romania's downing of an explosive naval drone near a Black Sea gas project signals an escalating threat campaign.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described the destruction of an explosive-laden naval drone near Romania's Black Sea coast as part of "an escalating campaign of threats."
Her remarks on Thursday came after Romanian authorities reported that F-16 fighter jets had shot down the unmanned vessel. The drone was detected just a few hundred metres from the Neptun Deep gas project, a key offshore energy development in the region.
The incident underscores growing security concerns in the Black Sea, where military activity has repeatedly encroached on critical infrastructure. Von der Leyen's statement signals that the European Union views the episode not as an isolated event, but as part of a wider pattern of hostile actions in the area.
Romania, a NATO member, has stepped up surveillance and response measures in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone in recent months. The Neptun Deep field is strategically important for the country's ambitions to reduce reliance on imported energy.