London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

$2m fuel theft from US base explained with ‘Romanian culture’

$2m fuel theft from US base explained with ‘Romanian culture’

A thieving scheme that resulted in $2 million in fuel stolen from a US base in Romania might have been facilitated by the “negligence” of the Americans unaware of “local culture,” the country’s defense minister has suggested.

The fuel theft scandal centered around the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base, which serves as the main hub for US troops in Romania, got an unexpected twist when the country’s Defense Minister Vasile Dincu bizarrely blamed it on the Americans themselves.

While the theft was allegedly perpetrated by a group of locals, it might have been facilitated by the “negligence” and lack of knowledge about local “culture” on the part of the Americans, the minister told local media on Friday, suggesting the supply point should have been guarded better to prevent the siphoning of fuel.

"It was a supply point somewhere outside the US military base. It was a negligence to say because maybe our culture was not so well known."


The country’s own military is keeping all its facilities – including disused ones – well-guarded to prevent them from getting ransacked by locals, the minister added.

The fuel theft scandal first made headlines in late November, when Romanian police said it uncovered the scheme that allegedly ran at the base starting from 2017. Seven suspects have been detained by the police for questioning.

“Under the coordination of the group’s leader, its members ... stole quantities of diesel fuel from the generators which serve certain areas within the American military base, with damages estimated by the injured party, the U.S. federal government, at $2 million,” the police said in a statement back then.

According to local media reports, the seven suspects were locals employed at the base by a company responsible for managing the generators. On their watch, however, diesel levels in the generators remained consistently lower than expected, with the US military growing suspicious over the years.

The air base affair has been acknowledged by US officials, who said they were closely working with the Romanians to establish all the circumstances around the thieving scheme.

“We are in full support and in full cooperation with our Romanian partners and officials during this investigation, and we appreciate their efforts,” Vonnie Wright, a spokesman for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, said last week.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×