Suspected drone spotted floating near Costinești beach on Romanian Black Sea coast

Discovery at Costinești beach

On Thursday morning, tourists on the beach at the Black Sea resort of Costinești spotted a suspicious object floating in the water near a breakwater, close to the canal. Several witnesses filmed the device as it drifted on the surface and shared the footage with local media. One person recording the scene remarked on how clearly the object was visible from their position and stated it was a drone. After a few minutes, the object was no longer visible, and bystanders presumed it had sunk beneath the surface. News.ro and Info Sud-Est were among the first outlets to report the sighting. The object was spotted at dawn, in calm conditions near the breakwater, making it visible to early beachgoers who happened to be on the beach at that hour. The situation was being closely monitored given that similar objects had been reported in the area in preceding months.

Authorities respond

The Constanța county prefect, Adrian Picoiu, confirmed that police, gendarmes, the Coast Guard, and the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU) were dispatched to the scene. Romanian Navy representatives told Info Sud-Est that on-site verification was underway but that it had not yet been established whether the object was in fact a drone. Coast Guard crews arrived quickly and prepared to cordon off a safety perimeter. As a precaution, tourists in the immediate vicinity of the breakwater were expected to be evacuated until initial investigation procedures were completed. Authorities had not yet determined whether the object was an intact unmanned aerial vehicle or merely a fragment from such a device.

Picoiu, contacted by Libertatea, said he could not yet confirm whether the device was a surveillance drone.

“I am waiting for the SRI pyrotechnics team to confirm.”

Initial technical assessments indicated a low risk to the public, with no evidence that the object carried an explosive or otherwise dangerous payload. Authorities planned to recover the object from the water and subject it to a detailed examination by specialists. The origin of the object and whether it posed any danger to people nearby remained unknown.

Pattern of incidents on the Romanian coast

The sighting follows several similar reports along the coast near Costinești in recent months, a pattern that has drawn increased scrutiny from authorities. In February, an object or fragment presumed to be drone-related was reported on the beach sector between Costinești and Tuzla. In April, a fragment found in the same area was examined by authorities, who concluded it had been carried to shore by sea currents rather than deposited deliberately. In June, amid reported incidents involving maritime drones in the Constanța area and nearby resorts, authorities intensified checks along the coastline.

As of Thursday morning, authorities had not confirmed that the object observed at Costinești was a drone. Information remained under verification, and the object's identity and nature had not been officially established.