Romanian navy to conclude exercises
Romanian naval exercises conclude today in the Danube River Delta and the Black Sea.
The exercises’ goals are improving joint operability and developing operational procedures in order to defend against an attack on coastal Romania and the mouth of the Danube.
Last month, Russia seized Snake Island from Ukraine, which lies just over 20 miles from the Danube Delta and just over 10 miles from Romania’s exclusive economic zone. The Russian navy currently has a flotilla of landing ships stationed in the Northern Black Sea as part of a larger force blockading Ukraine’s coast. In response, Italy and Romania’s Defense Ministers met last week in Bucharest, where Italy agreed to send two maritime minesweepers to Romania and reiterated their support for Romania’s security role in the Black Sea.
Expect Romanian naval exercises to occur more frequently for the duration of Russia’s blockade. Should Russia’s naval presence in the Black Sea increase in the coming months, expect Romania to try to reinforce its navy by requesting ships and weaponry from its NATO allies. NATO and European Union support for Romania’s military will likely continue to increase over time as Europe reinforces its eastern borders against potential Russian attacks.
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