War in Ukraine: $300,000 Sea Baby naval drone ‘destroyed by detonation’ 66 km from Romanian coast

Neither the origin of the drone nor the reasons for its presence in the Black Sea have yet been clarified. Romania announced this Wednesday that it had destroyed a maritime drone which threatened navigation in the Black Sea, according to a press release from the Ministry of National Defense.

Bucharest said the drone was found 66 km (36 nautical miles) east of Constanta. “The intervention team received authorization to neutralize the identified object, in accordance with the operational procedures in force, and around 1 p.m., the maritime drone was destroyed by controlled detonation,” indicates the ministry.

A drone not Russian but… Ukrainian?

According to a spokesperson for the Romanian Ministry of Defense, it was a Sea Baby drone. This naval machine, made in Ukraine and valued at around $300,000 per unit, can operate at distances of more than 1,500 km and carry a payload of up to 2,000 kg. Even the same source refused to specify the exact origin of the drone.

For its part, kyiv has denied any involvement. According to Reuters, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that all of its Sea Baby drones deployed on operational missions in the Black Sea region had been found and that none had been lost.

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

The incident took place amid growing concerns about risks to navigation in the Black Sea, particularly linked to the war in Ukraine. Several tankers from Russia’s ghost fleet caught fire last week near the Turkish coast. Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attack.