Romanian President condemns Russian drone strike as world leaders voice alarm over Romania incident

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Bucharest: A Russian drone crashed into a residential building in eastern Romania overnight, injuring two civilians and triggering fresh concerns over the spillover of the Ukraine war into NATO territory.

Romanian authorities said the drone struck the roof of an apartment building in the city of Galati, near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova. The impact caused a fire and forced evacuations in nearby areas, while two residents suffered minor injuries.

Romania’s Defence Ministry confirmed the drone had entered and travelled through Romanian airspace before crashing. The military responded by deploying F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter, while emergency alerts were sent to residents in affected regions.

The incident came during a large-scale Russian aerial assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched more than 230 drones and a ballistic missile overnight, with air defence systems intercepting many of them.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan called an emergency meeting of the country’s military and defence council, describing the incident as the most serious event affecting Romanian territory since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Dan accused Russia of acting recklessly near NATO borders and said Romania had informed all NATO allies and European Union partners about the incident. He also stressed that Romania would not accept consequences of the war affecting its citizens.

Following the drone strike, Romania formally requested NATO to strengthen counter-drone capabilities along the alliance’s eastern flank. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reaffirmed the alliance’s support for Romania and said NATO was prepared to defend every inch of allied territory.

European leaders also condemned the incident. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the drone incursion as another dangerous escalation by Russia, while European Council President António Costa called the violation of Romanian airspace reckless and irresponsible.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Russia had crossed another dangerous line in its war against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed calls for the United States to speed up deliveries of Patriot air defence systems, warning that continuing Russian attacks were placing growing pressure on Ukraine’s defences.

The latest incident has intensified fears that the war could further destabilise countries bordering Ukraine as Russian attacks continue close to NATO territory.