{"id":830313,"date":"2026-05-29T15:19:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T15:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/830313\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T15:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T15:19:31","slug":"russian-drone-targeting-ukraine-crashes-into-romania-apartment-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/830313\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian drone targeting Ukraine crashes into Romania apartment building"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By STEPHEN McGRATH and NICOLAE DUMITRACHE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) \u2014 A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine and then went astray slammed into an apartment building in <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/romania\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">eastern Romania<\/a>, injuring two people in the NATO member country, Romanian authorities said, adding to concerns that <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/russia-ukraine\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the war<\/a> could spread across the alliance\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n<p>The Russian drone was tracked by radar in Romanian airspace and crashed onto the roof of the building in the city of Galati, Romania\u2019s Defense Ministry said in a statement. The impact was followed by a fire. The two people suffered minor injuries, and several others were evacuated.<\/p>\n<p>The Romanian military scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter that were authorized to engage targets, and alert messages were sent to residents of the affected areas. But the aircraft didn\u2019t engage or shoot at the drone to bring it down.<\/p>\n<p>Romania asked NATO for a faster transfer of anti-drone capabilities to its military, the Foreign Ministry said, calling the drone\u2019s flight a serious violation of international law.<\/p>\n<p>The incursion was the latest in a litany of drone incidents \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-baltic-ukrainian-drones-latvia-lithuania-bee2f1620f4ba958e3af54f4b6bf7f47\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">from both Russia and Ukraine<\/a> \u2014 to afflict NATO member states and leave the 32-member trans-Atlantic organization on edge, drawing strong condemnation from Romania\u2019s allies.<\/p>\n<p>Gen. Gheorghe Maxim, a stand-in commander for the Romanian armed forces\u2019 joint staff, told a news conference on Friday that the strike in Galati wasn\u2019t \u201can attack from Russia against Romania,\u201d but \u201cRomanians should understand that Russia is a threat to the security of the countries in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Galati is on the Danube River, near the borders of Ukraine and Moldova.<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian forces shot down 217 drones overnight on Friday, according to the country\u2019s air force. In total, Russia attacked with 232 drones and one ballistic missile. Strikes were recorded in 14 areas, the air force said.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mng-gallery-initialized mng-gallery-slider\">\n<li data-index=\"1\" class=\"mng-ge mng-gallery-active\" id=\"mng-ge-0\" aria-hidden=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Russian servicemen prepare to launch an interceptor drone in Ukraine.\" class=\"size-article_inline\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Russia_Ukraine_13558.jpg\"\/>\n<p>In this image made from video provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, May 27, 2026., Russian servicemen prepare to launch an interceptor drone for an action in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"2\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Servicemen of Ukraine's defense intelligence set up the Peklo missile drone.\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Russia_Ukraine_War_57_11.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Russia_Ukraine_War_57_11.jpg\"\/>\n<p>Servicemen of Ukraine\u2019s defense intelligence set up the Peklo (Hell) missile drone against Russian in an undisclosed location in Ukraine late Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Efrem Lukatsky)\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"3\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A serviceman of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence prepares an An-196 Liutyi drone.\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Russia_Ukraine_War_42781.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Russia_Ukraine_War_42781.jpg\"\/>\n<p>A serviceman of Ukraine\u2019s Defence Intelligence prepares an An-196 Liutyi (Fierce) one-way deep strike drone in an undisclosed location in Ukraine late Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Efrem Lukatsky)\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"4\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson give a news conference.\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Sweden_Ukraine_635_9_76087c-1.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Sweden_Ukraine_635_9_76087c-1.jpg\"\/>\n<p>Ukraine\u2019s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sweden\u2019s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, not seen, give a joint news conference at the F16 air flotilla in Uppsala, Sweden, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (Christine Olsson\/TT News Agency via AP)\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Show Caption<\/p>\n<p>1 of 4<\/p>\n<p>In this image made from video provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, May 27, 2026., Russian servicemen prepare to launch an interceptor drone for an action in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#\" class=\"icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand\" aria-label=\"Expand fullscreen slideshow\">Expand<\/a><br \/>\nRomania calls it the worst of many incidents<\/p>\n<p>While Romania has <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/romania-drone-fragments-russia-ukraine-3c9322b0e24a2128da84699a8a08910d\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">confirmed drone fragments on its territory<\/a> on multiple occasions since the war started on Feb. 24, 2022, including in Galati in April this year, no one has previously been hurt in any of the drone incidents, in which many landed in remote areas.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the latest incursion, Romanian President Nicusor Dan convened the NATO member\u2019s top defense body for a meeting on Friday to discuss the implications of what he called \u201cthe worst incident to hit the national territory\u201d since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and blamed Russia directly for the incident.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will have proportional measures in relation to the Russian Federation. \u2026 There is no ambiguity about the author and the cause of this assault,\u201d he wrote in a post on Facebook. He said that his thoughts are with the injured people, families and residents \u201cwho experienced terrible moments in their own homes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After the Supreme Council of National Defense meeting in Bucharest, Dan said that the Russian consul in the Black Sea port city of Constanta has been declared persona non grata and that the consulate there will be closed. Russia also has an embassy in Romania\u2019s capital, Bucharest.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, airspace violations have become so common in Romania that lawmakers adopted legislation last year allowing the army to shoot down drones entering its airspace as a last resort. But Romania has remained cautious in downing errant drones, which can pose risks to populated areas.<\/p>\n<p>Russia has been using long-range ballistic missiles and drones to damage Ukraine\u2019s power grid and hammer cities, and Ukraine has braced for further heavy bombardments.<\/p>\n<p>The latest incident adds to recent drone-related problems posed to Europe. Over the past few months, Ukrainian drones have crashed into the chimney of a power plant in Estonia, hit empty fuel tanks in Latvia and been <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ukraine-drone-downed-estonia-russia-war-c098579e65a2a76e1610329d57cf4b0a\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">shot down by Romanian fighter jets<\/a> stationed in Lithuania. Ukrainian officials apologized and said that the drones were aimed at military targets inside Russia, but were sent off course by Russian electronic interference.<\/p>\n<p>Since the war started nearly 4\u00bd year ago, Poland, Croatia, Romania and <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/moldova\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">non-NATO member Moldova<\/a> have reported airspace violations and have found drone fragments on their territory.<\/p>\n<p>The string of airspace violations has prompted questions about <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-nato-drones-estonia-latvia-lithuania-50636d55bff486b74e73ab947076744f\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the state of air defenses<\/a> on NATO\u2019s eastern flank.<\/p>\n<p>Allies rally to condemn incursion<\/p>\n<p>NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that he had spoken to Romania\u2019s president and expressed the organization\u2019s \u201cabsolute solidarity\u201d with its ally.<\/p>\n<p>Rutte said in an X post that he \u201caffirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory. We will continue to enhance our readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including from drones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NATO allies are talking informally about the incursion, but no official meeting about it was due to take place on Friday. Romania can request formal NATO consultations, if it feels that it\u2019s territory or security is under threat.<\/p>\n<p>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said the incident showed that Russia \u201chas crossed yet another line.\u201d She said the EU will keep strengthening security along its eastern border and was actively drafting another set of sanctions against Russia, the 21st so far.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Russian drone incursion struck a densely populated area in Romania, injuring civilians,\u201d she wrote in a social media post. \u201cOn EU territory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that the risk of such \u201cserious incidents\u201d was raised by \u201c <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-putin-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-0c31bbbf0d06c457c00d046bc7ba99f7\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Putin\u2019s increasing nervousness<\/a>, driven by military setbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Follow the AP\u2019s coverage of the war in Ukraine at <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/russia-ukraine\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/russia-ukraine<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Stephen McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By STEPHEN McGRATH and NICOLAE DUMITRACHE BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) \u2014 A Russian drone that was part of an&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":830314,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,10293,257,3657,324558,3549,7264,273,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-830313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-america","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-romania","tag-russia","tag-russia-ukraine-war","tag-russian-drone","tag-san-diego","tag-sandiego","tag-ukraine","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116658541428223058","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=830313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/830314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=830313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=830313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=830313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}