Romania Destroys Drone in Black Sea
The Romanian military blew up a maritime drone that was endangering navigation in the Black Sea, the Ministry of National Defence said on Wednesday, amid rising concerns about risks to shipping in the area linked to the war in Ukraine.
The ministry said that the drone, which was found in an area 36 nautical miles (66 km) east of Constanta, was a Sea Baby. The Sea Baby is a maritime drone developed by Ukraine.
A Romanian Defence Ministry spokesperson declined to specify the country that the drone came from, but confirmed it was a Sea Baby. The Security Service of Ukraine declined to comment at the time of publication.
Worries over the safety of shipping in the Black Sea following attacks on Russia-linked tankers, some claimed by Ukraine, have caused insurance rates to rise in a body of water that is crucial for the shipment of grain, oil and oil products.
"The intervention team received approval to neutralize the identified object, in accordance with the operational procedures in force, and at around 1:00 p.m., the maritime drone was destroyed by controlled detonation," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed Black Sea safety on Wednesday, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said, after Ankara expressed alarm at the attacks.
Fidan on Wednesday said the "very scary" attacks of recent days on Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea threatened the safety of all in the region and showed the reach of the war in Ukraine was expanding.
The strikes within Turkey's exclusive economic zone violate navigational safety and are impacting commerce, he said, adding Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria, which also border the Black Sea, were looking at measures to boost security.
Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have a joint task force to defuse stray mines, which began floating in the Black Sea after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Since the war started, roughly 150 drifting mines have been discovered and destroyed, the Romanian navy has said.
UKRAINE DENIES LINK TO TANKER INCIDENT
Kyiv denied any link to another incident on Tuesday in which a Russian-flagged tanker loaded with sunflower oil said it had come under drone attack off the Turkish coast. Beyond the Black Sea, a Besiktas Shipping tanker that also did business with Russia was damaged near Senegal by external impacts. No one claimed responsibility.
Turkey has called the attacks on shipping unacceptable and warned "all parties" to halt them. A Turkish official said this specifically includes the Ukrainian authorities.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has responded by threatening to sever Ukraine's access to the sea, and said Moscow will intensify strikes on Ukrainian facilities and vessels and move against tankers of countries that help Ukraine.
(Reuters)
