Romania will speed up sea surveillance, the fight against sea mines and action against drones that enter its air and sea space without permission, as part of a stronger response to incidents in the Black Sea. Romania's Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) discussed these steps on Thursday, 22 October, the Presidential Administration in Bucharest said.
The meeting came two days after the North Atlantic Council of NATO decided to send new surveillance and intelligence assets to the Black Sea. The alliance's council met on 20 October at Romania's request. The Presidential Administration said the CSAT talks on NATO took into account the outcome of that North Atlantic Council meeting on 20 October 2026.
President Nicusor Dan called and chaired the meeting at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. It began at 18:00, and the Presidential Administration said at 19:14 that it had ended.
The press release says the Black Sea incidents are a direct result of Russia's aggression beyond Ukraine's borders. The president's office said threats to freedom of navigation and to critical infrastructure in the region have grown a lot recently.
Before the meeting, Vlad Ionescu, state councillor at the Presidential Administration, read out a message from President Dan. In it, Romania strongly condemns drone attacks on commercial routes in the Black Sea. Dan calls them a gross breach of international law by Russia. He says the incidents are not isolated and have become more frequent and more serious.
Council members gave priority to two issues. The first is violations of Romanian airspace. The second is drone strikes on merchant ships in and near Romanian territorial waters.
"The security of the Black Sea is an essential part of national and Euro-Atlantic security," CSAT members said, as quoted in the press release.
The council reviewed the steps taken so far and discussed what more to do. These cover the protection of territorial waters, ports and energy sites, and the safety of merchant ships. Officials in Bucharest said the crisis affects Romania directly. They want to protect human life and keep free access to national ports and to energy sites in Romania's Exclusive Economic Zone at sea.
The agencies will hold regular joint drills, and response plans will be updated regularly. "These steps are essential for the coordinated handling of complex incidents that can hit shipping, economic sites and the marine environment at the same time," the Presidential Administration said in its press release. In practice, this means the agencies must work together when one incident hits ships, offshore installations and nature at once.
The meeting also covered closer work within NATO. Council members spoke about stronger deterrence and defence on the alliance's eastern flank, and about new steps against threats in the Black Sea region.
Another topic was cooperation with the other Black Sea allies. This includes launching the Black Sea Security Hub, part of the EU's Strategic Approach for the region. Romania wants the hub to start work quickly and counts this among its most important aims.
The council also discussed the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea). In 2026 its tasks were widened to include protecting critical infrastructure.
Romania will keep working with its allies and partners to defend its interests and prevent escalation, the press release says.
Before the meeting, the Presidential Administration said the council would assess what the Black Sea incidents mean for security and would review the steps to protect territorial waters and offshore sites.
Dan prepared for the meeting with talks in Belgium. During his visit there, he spoke with the NATO secretary general and with the Bulgarian prime minister. The North Atlantic Council met after those talks.
This was the first CSAT meeting under the government of prime minister Luca Niculescu. The council has a new line-up because Romania has a new government. For the first time, it includes the prime minister and three ministers, for foreign affairs, the interior and the economy.
Radu Oprea is defence minister. He has sat on CSAT before, but not as defence minister.
At the end of the meeting, Dan voiced alarm over two serious cases of violence in Romanian schools this week. He said early action and concrete steps are needed to stop such cases.