Romanian authorities have discovered and destroyed five unmanned naval vessels in the Black Sea, some of which were carrying explosives, Acting Defense Minister Radu Mîruță announced on Friday, July 10, highlighting the growing maritime risks facing the NATO member state.
Speaking to the broadcaster Digi24, Mîruță confirmed the interception of the maritime drones amid heightened regional tensions caused by the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
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“Debris from drones was found in the sea and they were destroyed; some of them contained explosives, while others did not,” the minister stated.
Mîruță specified the timeline of the discoveries, noting that four of the drones were intercepted prior to a recent high-profile explosion in the Romanian port of Constanța, while the fifth was likely discovered afterward.
Addressing domestic questions regarding the lack of a dedicated public report from the military concerning the Constanța port explosion, the acting defense minister clarified jurisdictional boundaries. He emphasized that during peacetime, the security of the port does not fall directly under the purview of its Armed Forces.
“The Romanian army does not provide security for the port of Constanța in peacetime,” Mîruță explained. “The Romanian army is one of the state authorities that intervenes in peacetime situations when requested for support. There are other structures of the Romanian state that, according to the law, bear this responsibility during peacetime.”
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Demands for drone self-destruct mechanisms
The revelation of the five destroyed drones comes just days after Romania requested that Ukraine modify the programming of its unmanned surface vessels (USVs).
Following the Constanța incident, Mîruță announced plans to ask Kyiv to implement automatic self-destruct mechanisms on its maritime drones. Under the Romanian proposal, Ukrainian drones operating in the Black Sea would be programmed to automatically detonate if they lose connection with their operators and drift within 12 nautical miles of the Romanian coast.
Bucharest’s demand was prompted by a June 5 incident in which a stray Ukrainian naval drone detonated inside the strategic port of Constanța, triggering a major security response and a formal investigation.
Ukrainian authorities later explained that the unmanned vessel had been knocked off course and lost navigation control due to intense Russian electronic warfare during a combat mission in the Black Sea, causing it to drift aimlessly into Romanian waters.
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