Romania Destroys Sea Baby Mine Spotted in the Black Sea
The Romanian Navy released a video showing the destruction of a maritime drone that it identified as a “Sea Baby” found in the Black Sea. The official statement said it was part of the ongoing efforts to monitor the Black Sea and ensure safe transit for commercial ships.
The Coast Guard spotted a drifting object, which was approximately 36 nautical miles east of Constanta, Romania. The Navy’s EOD military divers, specialized in the fight against explosive devices, were dispatched to investigate.
The soldiers identified the object as a Sea Baby type of unmanned surface vehicle (drone). They did not make any comments on where the drone might have come from or how long it had been drifting.
The team received approval to destroy the drone based on the operational procedures of the Romanian military forces. At approximately 1300 local time, it was destroyed in a controlled detonation.
Scafandrii militari EOD, specializa?i în lupta împotriva dispozitivelor explozive, din cadrul For?elor Navale Române, au executat o misiune de neutralizare a unui obiect care punea în pericol naviga?ia în Marea Neagr?, la solicitarea G?rzii de Coast?.https://t.co/9zn0G5FpcA pic.twitter.com/7gu18O8w3r
— MApN (@MApNRomania) December 3, 2025
Ukraine has not commented on the incident, but said last weekend that it had used an adapted type of the Sea Baby during the attacks on the two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea. An explosion and fire were reported on one vessel, which was abandoned, while the second tanker reported two attacks on successive days and sustained some damage above the waterline.
The Sea Baby drones first appeared in 2022 and 2023, and Ukraine appears to have outfitted at least one version for long-range attacks. They are approximately 6 meters (20 feet) in length and believed to have a top speed nearing 50 knots. The range is reported to be up to 540 nautical miles, with some variations able to carry 850 kg of explosives.
The use of the drones in international waters or the Turkish EEZ has raised concerns. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an condemned the attack in Turkish waters. Reuters reports Turkey has now discussed the attacks with NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also lashed out at the attacks on the tankers, calling them piracy. He said Russia would intensify its attacks on Ukrainian facilities and vessels and threatened to take measures against the tankers of countries helping Ukraine. He said the “most radical solution” would be to cut Ukraine off from the sea. Russia last summer increased its naval escorts of tankers in the Baltic in response to the efforts to stop tankers to check their flag state status and insurance.
Romania highlights that it has, since February 2022, worked to monitor the safety of the Black Sea, saying it has ensured the navigation for over 12,000 commercial ships. It notes that drifting mines continue to be a key concern. In the past four years, the Romanian Navy reports approximately 150 sea mines have been neutralized in the Black Sea, including seven that were destroyed by its forces.
Romania, along with Turkey and Bulgaria, established a joint operation known as the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Force. The naval forces are coordinating efforts to monitor the Black Sea for dangers.