Frontex confirms that the incident took place as described in the statement issued by the Romanian authorities. The Polish aircraft was participating in the Multipurpose Maritime Operation (MMO) Western Black Sea 2023.
Requests for more information about the incident should be addressed to the relevant Romanian authorities. The MMO Western Black Sea is a joint operation hosted by Romania and coordinated by Frontex. Other participants include Poland, Spain, Sweden and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
The operation, which is set to last until mid-December this year, focuses on preventing irregular migration, illegal fishing, marine pollution and combatting other cross-border crimes in the Western Black Sea. The MMOs in the Black Sea have been co-led by Frontex every year since 2019.
Patrols of the Polish plane were suspended until further notice. Other maritime patrols remain up and running and in accordance with schedule.