CSAT meets: tougher action against Russian drones?

Romania wants to speed up the development of maritime surveillance, mine clearance and anti-drone defense, as incidents in the Black Sea have multiplied in recent weeks; this was discussed on Thursday by members of the Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) at the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest.

According to a statement from the presidential office, the meeting, led by President Nicușor Dan, addressed how to protect critical infrastructure and commercial shipping, and how to strengthen cooperation with NATO allies in defending the eastern flank. Council members specifically discussed the violations of Romanian airspace and the drone attacks that have hit commercial vessels in or near Romanian territorial waters. The presidential office did not mince words: it attributed these developments to the Russian Federation's continued aggression beyond Ukraine's borders, and warned that the threat to freedom of navigation and critical infrastructure has grown significantly in recent times.

The statement comes against the backdrop of serious events: over the past week or so, at least seven commercial vessels have been attacked near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, and twenty-three seafarers have died or gone missing, although most of the incidents occurred outside the territorial waters of NATO member states. Two chemical tankers were struck while anchored in the Danube Delta, near the Sulina Canal. The canal connects the Danube to the Black Sea and is also one of Ukraine's important export routes. This year, Russian drones have already breached Romanian airspace without authorization 35 times, compared with nine last year, and the Romanian air force has already shot down six drones this year, compared with none last year.

According to the statement, the CSAT reviewed the measures taken so far and discussed how to strengthen national capabilities for monitoring, preventing and responding to incidents affecting territorial waters, critical infrastructure and commercial shipping. It named the accelerated development of maritime surveillance, defense against sea mines, and more effective action against drones illegally entering Romanian airspace and maritime space as strategic priorities. Authorities plan regular joint exercises and will also update intervention plans to better coordinate the response to a complex incident that simultaneously endangers shipping, economic facilities and the marine environment. According to the presidential office, Romania must be able to protect human lives, keep access to its ports open, and secure the energy facilities within its exclusive economic zone, including the Neptun Deep gas field.

The council also discussed closer cooperation within NATO, and, building on the conclusions of the October 20 meeting in Brussels, is exploring what new response measures could address the threats in the Black Sea. The North Atlantic Council was convened at Romania's initiative; Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu had previously said that the talks would focus on expanding NATO's military presence in the Black Sea and increasing surveillance, while Bulgaria's leadership requested additional allied aircraft and anti-drone equipment. Bucharest also wants closer cooperation with other Black Sea allies, primarily in launching the Black Sea security hub to be established as part of the European Union's Black Sea strategy, the rapid implementation of which the presidential office calls one of Romania's most important goals. In addition, Romania intends to make greater use of the activities of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures task force (MCM Black Sea), which operates with Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish participation and whose mandate was expanded this year to include the protection of critical infrastructure. Finally, CSAT members emphasized that the security of the Black Sea is one of the keys to the security of Romania and the Euro-Atlantic region, and reaffirmed that Romania intends to act in coordination with its allies and partners to defend national interests and prevent further escalation.

At the end of the meeting, Nicușor Dan expressed concern over two serious violent incidents that occurred in Romanian schools over the past week. According to the statement from the presidential office, the president said that timely intervention and concrete measures are needed to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Ugar