Romania is monitoring the conditions for the safe reopening of the Romanian Consulate in Odessa, the Black Sea coastal city in south Ukraine which was hit by Russian drones overnight, the foreign minister said Friday.
Her comments come after Romania’s president promised last month to reopen the consulate three years after it was closed. A Russian aerial attack overnight Thursday destroyed six apartments in a residential building in Odessa and damaged dozens of others in an assault on the city that left six people injured.
Foreign Minister Oana Toiu criticized a sustained overnight aerial attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the largest since the Russian invasion of Ukraine three years ago, as Moscow steps up hostilities to capture more territory.
Mentioning the two cities, Ms Toiu said Bucharest was “appalled to learn of yet another massive attack of the Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians in many Ukrainian cities including Kyiv and Odessa. Once more Russia proves utter disregard for international law and contempt for human life,” she said in a post on X.
“ Romania strongly condemns this barbaric attack and conveys its solidarity to the Ukrainian people. Our utmost appreciation for the bravery of Ukrainian soldiers, many of them of Romanian ethnicity, and for the resilience of Ukrainian citizens, including the Romanian community in Ukraine.”
But the bombing has not deterred Romania which remains “in close coordination with our Ukrainian partners while thoroughly monitoring conditions for the safe reopening of Romania Consulate General in Odessa as soon as the situation on the ground allows it,” she added.
The consulate was closed shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Romania has consulates in Kyiv and Cernauti.
Ms Toiu’s comments came a visit by Romania’s new President Nicusor Dan to Odessa on June 12 where he met with ethnic Romanians who have been calling for the consulate to be re-opened. He promised it would be “reopened quickly.”
Appalled to learn of yet another massive attack of the Russian forces against Ukrainian 🇺🇦 civilians in many UA cities including Kyiv & Odesa. Once more RU proves utter disregard for international law and contempt for human life. Romania 🇷🇴 strongly condemns this barbaric attack…
— Toiu Oana (@oana_toiu) July 4, 2025
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