Romania's drone record

Romania has recorded 35 unauthorised drone incursions so far this year, compared with nine in 2025. Its forces have also downed six drones in that period, after shooting down none last year.

Over the weekend, the country scrambled jets to bring down two suspected Russian drones over its territory. Defence minister Radu Miruță said the aircraft involved were probably latest-generation Russian machines travelling at speeds comparable to fighter jets.

• The drones flew at 450 km/h, according to Miruță.
• That speed led his ministry to believe they were Russian-made Geran-4 drones with a turboprop engine.
• He said it was the first time drones of this type had been shot down.

Nato's response

Against this backdrop, Nato is sending additional military assets to the Black Sea following what it calls a deadly escalation of Russian attacks on merchant shipping, which claimed five more vessels on Tuesday. The alliance said it would add more surveillance assets in the region as part of its defensive response.

Spokesperson Allison Hart said ambassadors had gathered in the North Atlantic Council to discuss Black Sea security. "Nato will be sending additional assets to the region, including support for surveillance, reconnaissance, and forensics," she said. Hart added that the alliance had already strengthened its posture along the eastern flank, including with counter-drone capabilities.

The deployment is set to include maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, drones and intelligence personnel.

Ships under attack

Russia's military said it struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine's port of Reni and two other cargo vessels en route to Odesa. The rising death toll among civilian seafarers has made Black Sea routes the world's most dangerous for shipping.

Last week, two chemical tankers were hit by drones near Romania's coast while anchored close to the Sulina canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea and serves as an export route for Ukraine. At least five other cargo ships have been struck near the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts in the past two weeks, with 23 sailors reported dead or missing; most of those incidents happened outside Nato territorial waters.

Risk and requests

The London shipping insurance market has now designated the whole Black Sea as high-risk except the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. Bulgaria, for its part, has asked Nato to station combat aircraft and anti-drone systems on its territory, and France sent a maritime reconnaissance aircraft to Romania on 18 October.

Security firm Ambrey said there is no end in sight to threats to Black Sea cargo shipping, including grain and oil, and that insurance prices for passage have rocketed. Senior analyst Tomas Alexa said last week the company had noted a sharp increase in the tempo of attacks beginning in July, with Russian forces estimated responsible for 80% of them.

He said loss of life was worsened by "double tap" attacks combining aerial and surface drones - the latter often carrying up to half a tonne of explosives - and that smaller vessels using the Danube canal system sank quickly. "We are seeing an escalation both in terms of the number of attacks and in the geographical scope," Alexa said.

According to Ambrey, Russia is targeting vessels carrying grain and other agricultural cargoes out of Ukraine's ports, which are central to the country's economy, bringing the conflict to Nato's borders. Bulgaria's request covers combat aircraft and anti-drone systems on its territory.