Romania said on Friday, May 29 that a Russian drone struck an apartment building in the eastern city of Galați, injuring two people. As Romania is a member of NATO, the incident quickly drew international attention, Reuters reported.
After the incident, Romania urgently deployed two F-16 fighter jets and issued warnings to local residents. The Romanian Defense Ministry said the drone crashed onto the roof of a multi-family residential building, and Bucharest attributed the incident to Russia.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry condemned it as a “serious and irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation.” Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said the incident should trigger NATO Article 4 consultations.
Under Article 4, member states can request urgent consultations if they believe their territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened.
Following the incident, Romanian President Nicușor Dan convened the Supreme Council of National Defense to discuss the drone attack and its consequences.
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After the meeting, Romania announced the closure of Russia’s consulate general in Constanța and declared the Russian consul persona non grata.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry also summoned the Russian ambassador to formally inform Moscow that further diplomatic countermeasures would follow.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the situation.
NATO, European leaders condemned the incident
According to an official statement, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a “serious violation of NATO airspace.” He said Russia’s war against Ukraine and its attacks on civilians and infrastructure were threatening the security of the entire European continent.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK “unreservedly condemns such strikes,” adding: “Time and again, Russia has shown it has no regard for civilian life, for international law, or for the sovereignty of its neighbours. That must not be allowed to stand.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also said the incident once again proves that the effects of Russia’s illegal war of aggression do not stop at its borders.
He said: “I affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory. Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia’s war of aggression had “crossed yet another line.”
Posting on X, she said: “We stand in full solidarity with Romania and its people. As we continue strengthening our security and deterrence, especially on our Eastern border, we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia.”
Moldovan President Maia Sandu also condemned Russia, saying, “Russia is a danger to all and must be stopped.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for stronger EU sanctions, saying he hoped new measures would truly make Russia pay the price for its attacks.
An investigation is underway
Meanwhile, Romanian military officials are investigating how the drone breached air defenses. Brigadier General Maxim said the drones flew at extremely low altitude and penetrated air defense systems for only a very short time, making interception difficult.
He noted that the US-provided “Merops” anti-drone system is already operational, but has not yet been formally integrated into Romania’s national defense system, Reuters reported.
A NATO spokesperson said the alliance will continue strengthening defenses against all types of threats, including the growing use of drones.
Notably, this is not the first time Russian drones have entered NATO airspace. In September last year, several Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting Polish and NATO fighter jets to scramble. This latest strike directly hitting a Romanian residential building has further raised questions about whether NATO will formally invoke Article 4 consultations.
