According to a statement issued by Romania’s Ministry of National Defence, a Russian drone entered Romanian airspace and struck a residential building in the city of Galați. The impact triggered a fire, leaving two people injured.
The attack took place overnight. According to media reports, the building was hit by a Shahed/Geran-2 drone. Police experts believe that the drone’s entire explosive payload detonated upon impact with the building.
Romanian media describe the incident as the most serious event of its kind in Romania since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian drone that struck the apartment block caused a fire in a tenth-floor flat. Around 70 residents were evacuated from the building. Two people—a woman and a teenage boy—sustained minor injuries.
Romania’s Ministry of National Defence stated that the drone was tracked “all the way to the southern part of the municipality of Galați,” before crashing into the roof of the residential building.
Following the detection of the drones, the Romanian military scrambled F-16 fighter jets from the 86th Air Base in Fetești at 1:19 a.m., as well as an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter. The pilots were authorised to engage targets during the alert.
Foreign Ministry: A serious and irresponsible escalation
Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would take the necessary diplomatic measures, citing “serious violations of international law and Romanian airspace.” Romania also informed its NATO allies and the Alliance’s Secretary General about the incident.
In a statement, the Romanian foreign minister said that the incident constituted “a serious and irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation.”
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu stated that she had requested NATO action to accelerate the transfer of counter-drone systems to Romania.
“The Russian Federation remains an aggressor state conducting an illegal war with serious implications for regional security and the safety of citizens. The Russian Federation bears direct responsibility for these serious and irresponsible actions. Romania will act with the utmost determination to increase international pressure on the Russian Federation in order to achieve an immediate and comprehensive cessation of these activities,” Țoiu said.
NATO spokesperson: We will continue strengthening our defences
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart also commented on the incident.
“Early this morning, a residential building in Romania was struck by a drone while Russia was attacking Ukrainian infrastructure near the border. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is in contact with the Romanian authorities. We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and NATO will continue strengthening our defences against all threats, including drones,” Hart wrote on social media.
Series of incidents
Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force reported an attack by a group of Russian drones in the Odesa region heading toward the port city of Reni. Monitoring systems detected approximately 16 Shahed drones flying toward the Ukrainian city.
The straight-line distance between Reni and Galați is roughly 21 kilometres (13 miles).
Meanwhile, Romanian public broadcaster TVR reported on Friday, citing local authorities, that a drone without an explosive payload had been discovered near the village of Băsești in Maramureș County in north-western Romania. The area has been secured.
Authorities are investigating the drone’s origin and the circumstances under which it appeared in the area. According to reports, the drone has a wingspan of approximately three metres, TVR added.
Last month, during a Russian attack on Ukrainian territory, a Russian drone violated Romanian airspace and crashed in the Bariera Traian area. Following that incident, Russia’s ambassador to Bucharest was summoned to Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.