Romania says it destroys maritime drone in Black Sea

Dec 3 (Reuters) – 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 SBU Security Service of Ukraine said all of its Sea Baby drones engaged in operational tasks in the Black Sea region were accounted for, with none lost. None had entered Romanian waters, the SBU’s press service said in a statement.

“None of the SBU’s Sea Baby drone systems have entered Romanian territorial waters,” the statement said. “Ukraine unfailingly adheres to international law, does not violate international borders and treats its partners with respect.”

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.

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.

(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, additional reporting by Luiza Ilie, Tom Balmforth; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Nick Zieminski)