Romanian military destroys two Russian Gerbera drones drifting near Neptun Deep gas platform in Black Sea

Incident on the Black Sea

Romanian military divers carried out a controlled detonation of two Russian-made Gerbera drones found drifting in Romania's exclusive economic zone on the Black Sea on Tuesday afternoon, 11 August 2026. The drones were spotted by one of the vessels involved in construction work at the Neptun Deep gas project, approximately 165 km from the port city of Constanța in eastern Romania. The discovery triggered an immediate notification to the relevant Romanian services. Radu Miruta, identified by three of the four sources as Romania's defense minister and by TVN24 as the country's prime minister, announced the operation and posted video footage of the destruction on social media. The decision to destroy the drones by controlled detonation was taken due to the threat they posed to maritime navigation safety and to the ongoing construction work around the gas platform.

Ukraine consulted on drone origin

The Romanian Ministry of National Defence contacted Ukrainian authorities to verify the origin of the unmanned aerial systems. According to Miruta, cited by the portal Spotmedia, Kyiv confirmed that the drones did not belong to Ukraine's armed forces. Romanian authorities have not disclosed how the drones reached the area or what their previous flight path may have been. Two drifting unmanned aerial systems and several fragments of wreckage were identified at the site. Miruta published video footage on social media showing a photograph of one of the machines and the moment of its controlled destruction.

The Ministry of National Defence contacted Ukrainian partners, who confirmed that the systems do not belong to them.

Neptun Deep: a strategic gas project

Neptun Deep is the largest marine gas extraction project in Romania and one of the most significant undertakings of its kind in the European Union. The installation of the production platform was completed in July 2026, with the start of extraction scheduled for 2027. The project is being developed by OMV Petrom and Romgaz, with an estimated investment value of approximately 4 billion euros and a planned annual production capacity of around 8 billion cubic meters of gas. The site sits in Romania's exclusive economic zone on the Black Sea, which, as noted by the Romanian defense minister, is distinct from Romania's territorial waters. The first gas extraction from the project is expected to begin in 2027.

Gerbera drones: Russian-made, previously found in the region

The Gerbera is a Russian multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle with a range of up to 900 km, produced since 2024 in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, a republic within the Russian Federation. The type has been used by Russia during its war against Ukraine, serving in roles including as decoys designed to overload air defense systems, though the design can also be applied to other tasks. Foreign media have previously reported Gerbera drones found in Poland, Romania, and Moldova. In November 2025, one such drone fell in Moldova, where local services determined it carried no explosive materials. During Russian attacks on Ukraine, Gerbera drones have functioned as cheaper decoy targets accompanying armed drones.