Romanian F-16 Destroys Explosives-Laden Drone Near Offshore Gas Project

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A Romanian F-16 fighter jet on Thursday destroyed an explosives-laden marine drone hundreds of meters from the Neptun Deep offshore gas project, Romania’s defense minister said, as a massive Russian missile and drone attack killed at least 16 people in Kyiv and surrounding areas.

Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta said the drone was carrying explosives and did not originate from Ukraine. The incident marked the latest security episode involving Romania, a NATO member that borders Ukraine, amid heightened regional tensions linked to Russia’s war.

The drone was destroyed after Romanian authorities detected it near the offshore energy project, according to Miruta, who announced the incident on Facebook.

Deadly Russian Strikes Hit Kyiv

The Romanian incident came as Russian bombardments killed at least 16 people overnight in Kyiv and the surrounding region, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Fifteen people were killed in the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said, while another person was killed in the wider Kyiv region.

Rescuers were searching through the rubble of damaged buildings early Thursday, including a children’s hospital, as residents surveyed the destruction.

“There used to be a building here, and now it’s gone,” 45-year-old Kyiv resident Maria Abramova said.

Abramova said she had only just reached her children’s room after an air raid alert when explosions shattered her windows and “nearly killed” her husband.

The attack lasted about nine hours and involved ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“It was a massive attack — the Russians prepared for a long time and combined various types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones,” Zelensky said.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched at least 44 missiles, of which 39 were intercepted.

Moscow said its forces had struck “military-industrial facilities, a transportation and logistics center, and warehouses” in Kyiv and the surrounding region.

Kyiv Warns of Growing Ballistic Threat

The latest assault highlighted Ukraine’s vulnerability to Russia’s increasingly frequent use of ballistic missiles against Kyiv.

Such missiles can travel thousands of kilometers per hour and reach the Ukrainian capital within minutes of an air raid warning. The first explosions on Wednesday night occurred less than three minutes after the official warning, leaving residents little time to reach shelters.

Kyiv has struggled to intercept ballistic missile salvos, which can be effectively countered only by advanced systems such as the US-designed Patriot air-defense systems.

Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to its allies for additional air-defense capabilities as Moscow intensifies its strikes. According to an AFP analysis of Ukrainian Air Force data, Russia fired a record number of missiles in July.

“Unfortunately, while Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, the world does not always respond appropriately to such attacks,” Zelensky said, urging a stronger international response.

Poland, Romania and Moldova on Alert

The Russian strikes also prompted heightened security measures in neighboring countries, including NATO members Poland and Romania.

Poland’s military command said it had deployed aircraft and activated air-defense systems to protect its airspace, particularly in areas close to the Ukrainian border.

In Romania, radar systems detected aerial targets near the Ukrainian border overnight. Authorities scrambled two Spanish fighter jets operating under NATO missions, along with a Romanian military helicopter.

Romania’s Defense Ministry said a drone entered its airspace near Galati before crashing in an unpopulated area around Tulcea, close to the Ukrainian border.

Moldova also reported that a Shahed-type drone, commonly used by Russian forces, crashed on its territory and triggered a fire near the border with Ukraine.

Such aerial incursions into neighboring countries have become increasingly frequent as the war enters its fourth year.

Russia, meanwhile, said its forces had shot down 726 Ukrainian drones launched overnight.

Retaliatory Strikes and Stalled Diplomacy

While Ukraine has faced near-nightly Russian attacks, Kyiv has also intensified retaliatory strikes against targets inside Russia in recent months, partly in an effort to increase pressure on Moscow to negotiate an end to the war.

Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to produce a breakthrough, with Russia demanding broad territorial and political concessions from Kyiv.

Zelensky has rejected those demands, arguing that accepting them would amount to capitulation and could leave Ukraine vulnerable to another Russian assault.

The latest escalation underscores the growing risks beyond Ukraine’s borders, with drone and missile activity increasingly affecting neighboring NATO and European states as the war continues.