EditPutin’s war in the Black Sea: Romania’s urgent need to foster regional alliances
NATO and the EU need to recalibrate their strategies to counter Russia's aggressive maneuvers in this volatile region
The Black Sea has emerged as a pivotal arena in Russia’s multifaceted conflict with Ukraine and the broader Western world, encompassing NATO and the European Union. EUalive’s partner PressOne.ro provides insight of the challenges.
Far from the sanitised narratives of “successfully completed missions” touted in official NATO press releases, the Romanian Navy’s capabilities reveal stark deficiencies: a fleet comprising three outdated, under-armed frigates, supplemented by a handful of aging corvettes and missile carriers. These limitations expose Romania’s vulnerabilities and underscore the urgent need for Romania, NATO, and the EU to recalibrate their strategies to counter Russia’s aggressive maneuvers in this volatile region. One option is regional alliances.
The Black Sea: A nexus of hybrid warfare
The Black Sea is no longer a peripheral theater but a central stage for Russia’s hybrid warfare, blending electronic interference, conventional military operations, and economic disruption. The following dynamics illustrate the complexity of this battlespace:
Electronic warfare: For over two years, Romanian and Bulgarian coastal regions have been subjected to persistent GPS “spoofing” emanating from Russian-controlled Crimea. These false signals disrupt maritime and aviation navigation, posing risks to civilian and military operations. Such tactics highlight Russia’s intent to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum in the Black Sea.
Missile operations: Russia uses the Black Sea as a launch platform for cruise missiles targeting Ukraine, with some trajectories violating Moldovan airspace. This not only escalates regional tensions but also demonstrates Russia’s willingness to exploit the Black Sea’s strategic geography for offensive operations.
Ukrainian counteroffensives: Ukraine has shifted the balance by deploying maritime drones to target Russian naval assets, including platforms equipped with radar and surveillance systems. These attacks have significantly degraded Russia’s control over the western Black Sea, with Ukraine claiming to have neutralized a third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
Hybrid threats: The convergence of electronic, commercial, and conventional tactics constitutes a clear manifestation of hybrid warfare. From disrupting trade routes to undermining regional security, Russia’s actions are a calculated effort to assert dominance.
This multifaceted conflict, unfolding on Romania’s doorstep, signals the emergence of a Cold War 2.0—a hybrid struggle fueled by the “hot” war in Ukraine. Romania, NATO, and the EU must adapt to this new reality by rethinking their security paradigms to address both immediate threats and long-term strategic challenges.
Romania’s critical black sea infrastructure: assets and vulnerabilities
Romania’s Black Sea coast is home to critical infrastructure essential to its economy, energy security, and regional connectivity. However, these assets are highly vulnerable to Russian interference, whether through physical sabotage, cyberattacks, or electronic disruption. A detailed examination reveals the following:
Submarine infrastructure
Telecommunication cables:
Diamond Link Global: A 1,083 km submarine cable connecting Poti (Georgia) to Constanța (Romania), serving as a vital artery for regional telecommunications and data exchange.
KAFOS (Black Sea Optical System): A 504 km cable linking Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, facilitating high-speed communication across the Black Sea region.
Pipelines:
Oil pipelines connecting the OMV Offshore Complex to the Midia Terminal, critical for Romania’s energy supply chain.
Gas pipelines linking the Midia Gas Development (MGD) Project to the Vadu gas treatment station, supporting domestic and regional energy needs.
A single-point mooring buoy, located 8.6 km off the Midia port, enables efficient oil transport to the KMG International coast terminal.
Maritime infrastructure
Ports and Facilities: Romania operates four strategic ports—Constanța, Mangalia, Midia, and Sulina—alongside the Petromidia refinery and eight offshore drilling platforms. These assets are central to Romania’s trade, energy production, and industrial capacity.
Neptun Deep Project: A flagship initiative targeting natural gas deposits, this project involves 10 production wells and a 160 km submarine pipeline connecting the offshore platform to the Tuzla gas measuring station. Integrated into a proposed Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania-Hungary energy corridor, Neptun Deep enhances energy security but also presents a high-value target for adversaries.
These assets, while critical, are exposed to risks ranging from physical attacks to cyberattacks and electronic interference. Protecting them requires robust surveillance, enhanced cybersecurity, and international cooperation.
NATO’s response: strengthening regional security
NATO has prioritized the Black Sea as a critical security zone, intensifying its presence through multinational exercises designed to enhance interoperability and deterrence. Key initiatives include:
Sea Shield: A Romanian-led annual exercise involving NATO members and partners, Sea Shield focuses on coordinated responses across multiple domains—maritime, riverine, coastal, underwater, and aerial. Scenarios include countering hybrid threats, mine clearance, and coordinated defense against simulated attacks. In 2025, Sea Shield has emphasized rapid response to drifting mines, a persistent threat in the Black Sea.
Breeze: Led by Bulgaria, this exercise concentrates on maritime interdiction, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare. It reinforces NATO’s commitment to collective defense and regional stability, involving forces from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and other allies.
Romanian, Bulgarian, and Turkish naval forces are engaged in a NATO exercise targeting drifting mines, a direct response to the ongoing threat posed by unexploded ordnance in the Black Sea. While these exercises demonstrate NATO’s resolve, they also expose Romania’s technological and operational shortcomings, particularly its outdated naval fleet.
The Black Sea as a global trade lifeline
The Black Sea is a vital conduit for global trade, particularly for agricultural exports from Ukraine and Russia, which are critical to global food security.
As one of the world’s top grain exporters, Ukraine relies on Black Sea routes to supply markets in North Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia. Ukrainian maritime drones have secured key shipping corridors, restoring grain exports to near pre-war levels. According to the UN, the 2022–2023 Black Sea Grain Initiative facilitated the export of 32 million tons of grain to 45 countries, underscoring Ukraine’s role in global food security.
The Black Sea accounts for 86% of Russia’s grain exports from its southern regions (2021–2022 data), making it an economic lifeline. Russia’s withdrawal from the 2022–2023 grain deal, citing unmet demands such as reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT system, disrupted global markets.
Recent U.S.-led negotiations in June 2025 aim to restore a Black Sea ceasefire to secure trade routes. Ukraine has agreed to immediate terms, while Russia has conditioned its participation on partial sanctions relief. Lithuanian researcher Alexandra Filippenko describes this as “the biggest of all the small steps” toward de-escalation, though challenges persist, including Russia’s history of reneging on similar agreements. Ukrainian political analyst Alexander Paliy notes that Ukraine’s dominance in the western Black Sea, achieved through drone warfare, gives it leverage, but environmental concerns and international pressures limit its ability to target Russian exports directly.
Strategic implications and policy recommendations
The Black Sea conflict demands a proactive and multifaceted response from Romania and its allies. The following recommendations address immediate and long-term priorities:
Modernise naval capabilities: Romania must urgently upgrade its naval fleet, investing in modern frigates, corvettes, and missile systems. Partnerships with NATO allies, such as the U.S. or France, could facilitate technology transfers and joint production to bolster Romania’s maritime deterrence.
Enhance electronic defences: Countering GPS spoofing and cyberattacks requires advanced cybersecurity infrastructure, resilient navigation systems, and real-time threat detection. Romania should collaborate with NATO’s Cyber Defence Centre to develop robust countermeasures.
Protect Critical Infrastructure: Submarine cables, pipelines, and ports must be safeguarded through enhanced maritime patrols, underwater surveillance systems, and regional cooperation with Bulgaria and Turkey. Investments in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) could improve monitoring capabilities.
Strengthen Regional Alliances: Romania should lead efforts to create a cohesive Black Sea strategy within NATO, integrating Bulgaria, Turkey, and non-NATO partners like Ukraine and Georgia. Joint exercises and intelligence-sharing can enhance collective security.
Innovate Deterrence: Ukraine’s success with maritime drones highlights the potential of cost-effective, technology-driven solutions. Romania should explore asymmetric capabilities, such as drones and cyber warfare, to counter Russia’s numerical and technological advantages without relying solely on traditional forces.
The Black Sea has transitioned from a regional waterway to a frontline in Russia’s war against Ukraine and the West. Romania, positioned at the heart of this geopolitical struggle, faces both challenges and opportunities. By addressing its naval deficiencies, protecting critical infrastructure, and leveraging NATO’s collective strength, Romania can assert itself as a key player in securing the Black Sea. The stakes are immense: regional stability, energy security, and global food supply chains depend on a robust and coordinated response to Russia’s aggression. As Ascending to the challenge, Romania must act decisively to ensure the Black Sea does not become a Russian-dominated domain but remains a shared space for trade, security, and cooperation.
Caption: Personnel conduct „Visit, board, search, and seizure“ (VBSS) drills during Sea Shield 2025 in the BlackSea. A key focus of this Romanian-led exercise is strengthening collaboration between naval, air, and ground forces among the 12 participating Allied nations. [NATO Maritime Command]
Updated: June 16, 2025 - 12:37
