Romanian Divers Destroy Russian Drones Drifting in Black Sea Economic Zone

Romanian military divers safely detonated two Russian Gerbera drones drifting near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project in Romania’s exclusive economic zone on Tuesday.

Romanian Divers Neutralize Drifting Drones

Romanian military divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones that were drifting in Romania’s exclusive economic zone on the Black Sea. The drones were located near the Neptun Deep offshore natural gas project, approximately 165 km from Constanța, Defense Minister Radu Miruta announced on Tuesday.

The crew of a vessel working on the construction of the Neptun Deep offshore gas project—the largest of its kind in the European Union—spotted the drones. The Ministry of National Defense contacted Ukrainian partners, who confirmed that the systems do not belong to Ukraine.

Controlled Detonation and Security Measures

Due to safety concerns regarding the waterway and the operations conducted around the platform, authorities decided to carry out a controlled destruction of the drones via detonation.

Russian Testing of New Technologies

The Gerbera is a Russian multi-role unmanned aerial vehicle with a range of up to 900 km, manufactured since 2024 in Yelabuga, a republic within the Russian Federation.

Tomasz Darmoliński, an expert from the Żelazny Foundation, wrote on X about why these specific drones are significant, noting that Russians are building a family of cheap, modular mission platforms rather than modernizing a single Gerbera. He highlighted the rapid pace of adaptation, combat testing, standardization of electronics, and scaling of the airframe.