A Russian drone struck a residential building in eastern Romania during an overnight attack linked to the war in Ukraine, injuring two people and triggering a diplomatic response from Bucharest and its NATO allies. The incident marked the first known case since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in which civilians in Romania were injured by a drone linked to the conflict.
The drone hit a ten-storey apartment block in the city of Galati during the early hours of Friday, causing an explosion and a fire on the roof of the building. Emergency crews evacuated about 70 residents while firefighters brought the blaze under control.
Romanian authorities said two people suffered minor injuries and received hospital treatment. Reuters reported that those injured were a woman and her child.
Romania’s Defence Ministry said the aircraft entered Romanian airspace before crashing into the residential block. Military radar tracked the drone as it moved towards the southern part of Galati, a city located near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova.
The ministry said the drone was Russian and had been involved in attacks against targets inside Ukraine close to the Romanian frontier.
Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drone was detected. Brigadier General Gheorghe Maxim said military personnel had only minutes to respond between the detection of the aircraft and its impact.
Galati lies close to the Danube River and near the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail. Both locations have faced repeated Russian attacks since the war began. Ukrainian authorities said Izmail was among the targets of drone strikes during the same night.
Military officials said Romania had anti-drone systems deployed near the area but faced restrictions on how they could be used. General Maxim told Reuters that authorities were reluctant to employ some systems over a populated urban area because of the risks involved.
He also noted that Romanian forces could not take actions that would violate Ukrainian airspace.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan described the incident as the most serious event affecting Romanian territory since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. He called an emergency meeting of Romania’s Supreme Defence Council and instructed officials to examine measures concerning Romania’s relationship with Russia.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador and accused Moscow of causing a serious escalation.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he had spoken with President Dan and reiterated the alliance’s commitment to collective defence.
“Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” Rutte said on social media.
He added that NATO would continue strengthening its readiness against threats including drones and stated that the alliance stood ready to defend all member territory.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the incident showed that Russia’s war had crossed another line.
Finland also joined the response. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on X that Finland stood with Romania following the strike.
Romania’s Defence Ministry said fragments from drones linked to the conflict have been discovered on Romanian territory dozens of times since 2022.
Several NATO countries have reported similar incidents since the war began. Poland has recorded drone incursions and launched consultations within the alliance after previous events. Baltic states and Finland have also reported airspace violations and drone-related incidents.
HT