Following several significant drone attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian territory, Moscow has now reached NATO territory, as Romania denounces. The country suffered the consequences of the impact of a supposed Russian drone early Friday morning in an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galati, near the border with Ukraine. A fire broke out, and two people were injured, as reported by the affected party.
Romania has convened its defense council following the fall of a presumed Russian drone, as announced by the Presidency.
Romania's General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations reported on social media about the incident, which forced the evacuation of 70 people from the building. Firefighters who arrived at the scene managed to extinguish the fire, and the injured were taken to a nearby hospital, as reported by Efe. "There were no fatalities (...) Residents remain evacuated until technicians complete inspections, including the building's structure," said the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat, to the 'digi24.ro' portal.
The Foreign Minister, Toiu Oana, condemned on social media that the drone was Russian and denounced the incident as a "serious and irresponsible escalation" by Russia, accusing this country of being "directly responsible" for this action. The minister stated that "Romania will take the necessary diplomatic response measures regarding this serious violation of international law and its airspace" and announced that they have already informed their EU partners, NATO countries, and the Secretary-General of the Organization. They have also requested anti-drone defense material.
Oana declared that her country will act with the utmost determination to "increase international pressure on the Russian Federation to achieve an immediate and complete ceasefire."
NATO reacted quickly pointing to Russia. "This morning, an apartment building in Romania was hit by a drone during a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure near the border," said NATO spokesperson Allison Hart on social media. She added that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is in contact with Romanian authorities. "We condemn Russia's recklessness," she emphasized, adding that NATO will continue to strengthen its defenses "against all threats, including drones."
Shortly after, Rutte expressed the Alliance's "absolute solidarity" with Romania.
European authorities have also reacted. "Russia's aggression has crossed another line. A Russian drone incursion has reached a densely populated area of Romania, causing injuries among the civilian population. Within EU territory," stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on social media.
European Council President António Costa remarked, "I strongly condemn this violation of Romania's national airspace and international law. The EU stands united to intensify pressure on Russia through sanctions and the reinforcement of defense capabilities, particularly along our eastern border."
The EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, described the incident as "a blatant and serious violation of Romania's sovereignty and European airspace."
Before the impact, an emergency alert was issued after drones were detected near Romanian airspace, and two F-16 fighter jets took off at 01:19 local time (22:19 GMT on Thursday) from the Fetesti military base, as reported by the Romanian Ministry of Defense. "The aircraft pilots were authorized to attack targets throughout the alert period," they added, according to Efe.
A Romanian Air Force helicopter supported the operations, while a team of explosion specialists was dispatched to the scene.
The Ministry of Defense had previously reported a nighttime drone attack by Russia on Ukraine. The city of Galati is located on the banks of the Danube, near the borders with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
Russian drones have approached or invaded Romanian airspace, which shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine, and several have crashed, so far without causing casualties.