Romania’s military has destroyed a maritime drone found drifting in the Black Sea, the Ministry of National Defence confirmed on Wednesday, adding to ongoing concerns about navigation risks in the region due to the war in Ukraine.

The drone was detected approximately 36 nautical miles (66 kilometres) east of Constanța. Defence officials said the device was identified as a Sea Baby, a type of maritime drone developed by Ukraine.

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the model but declined to state which country the drone may have originated from.

According to the ministry’s statement, its intervention team received authorisation to neutralise the object following established operational procedures. The drone was destroyed at around 1 p.m. through a controlled detonation.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns over maritime safety in the Black Sea following a series of attacks on Russia-linked tankers, some of which have been claimed by Ukraine.

These developments have contributed to rising insurance rates for vessels transporting grain, oil and oil products through the region, which remains a key maritime corridor.

In a separate development on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed the security situation in the Black Sea.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry source said the talks followed Ankara’s recent alarm over attacks linked to the conflict.

Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey operate a joint task force responsible for clearing drifting mines that have appeared in the Black Sea since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Romanian navy has stated that around 150 such mines have been identified and destroyed since the conflict began.

Reference: Reuters