Armed drone was part of attack on Ukraine, say Romanian authorities after military scrambled F-16 fighter jets in response
A Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in a southeastern city in NATO-member Romania injuring two people, in what Bucharest condemned as an “irresponsible escalation” by Moscow.
The drone was tracked by radar in Romanian airspace and crashed on to the roof of a building in Galati, a city of some 200,000, early Friday, the defense ministry said.
A fire broke out after the impact and two people sustained cuts and burns, a 53-year-old woman and a 14-year old and were treated at hospital. Several were evacuated.
Police and other emergency authorities responded at the scene. Galati, in eastern Romania, lies on the Danube River, close to Moldova and Ukraine.
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.
Romania’s foreign ministry summoned the foreign ministry and described the drone incident as a “grave and irresponsible escalation” from Russia adding Romania would would take the necessary diplomatic measures to respond to what it described as a “serious breach of international law” and its airspace.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia had ‘crossed yet another line,’ while Romania called the strike a ‘grave and irresponsible escalation’.
‘Russia’s reckless behavior is a danger to us all,’ NATO chief Mark Rutte said in a post on X. ‘Last night showed yet again that the implications of their illegal war of aggression don’t stop at the border.’
Romania is a member of the European Union and NATO.
Russian drones have violated Romanian airspace a number of times during the four-year war with Ukraine, but this was the first time citizens from Romania had been hurt. Russia hasn’t commented on the incident.
