A Russian drone struck an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galati in the early hours of this Friday, near the Ukrainian border, causing a fire that resulted in two minor injuries and forced the evacuation of about 70 people, according to the Romanian Ministry of Defense. Romania, an EU country and a key NATO member due to its location on the alliance’s eastern flank, shares a 614-kilometer border with Ukraine.
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The incident in Galati is the most serious of its kind in Romania since Russia launched the large-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. “This incident represents a serious and irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation,” the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Romania will take the necessary diplomatic measures to respond to this serious violation of international law and its airspace.”
A NATO spokesperson said in a post on X: “We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and NATO will continue to strengthen its defenses against all threats, including drones.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is in contact with the acting government of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. Bolojan’s pro-European government fell on May 5 when the Social Democrats left the coalition over fiscal adjustment issues and joined an ultra-right no-confidence motion.
Regarding the Russian drone incident, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Vladimir Putin of crossing a red line again and announced that Brussels is preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia. Moldovan President Maia Sandu warned on social media that Russia “is a danger to everyone,” making it urgent to put an end to its actions.
According to the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations on social media, the drone struck the tenth floor of the residential building, and its explosive payload detonated completely, causing two injuries, who were taken to the hospital. Firefighters who arrived at the scene managed to extinguish the fire. The city of Galati is located on the banks of the Danube, near the borders with Moldova and Ukraine.
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Near the border with Ukraine
The fire caused by the Russian drone in a residential building in Galati forced the evacuation of about 70 people
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 from the Fetesti military base, the Romanian Ministry of Defense reported. “The aircraft pilots were authorized to attack targets throughout the alert period,” the Ministry added. 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 Russian drone attack against Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, Romania has recorded several cases of drone incursions into its airspace.
More than 60 Russian attacks against Ukraine have occurred very close to the Romanian border. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, in 40 of these cases, drone debris fell on Romanian soil but caused no material or human damage. In at least thirteen cases, Russian unmanned aircraft entered Romanian territory, generally through the Danube Delta region. But this is the first time one has struck a building.
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