A Russian drone struck a residential apartment block in eastern Romania on Friday, triggering a fire, injuring two people and drawing sharp condemnation from Nato and European Union leaders.
The incident happened in the city of Galați, close to Romania’s border with Ukraine, marking the first time civilians in the Nato member state have reportedly been injured by a drone linked to the war.
Romanian emergency authorities said the drone’s explosive payload detonated on the 10th floor of the building, sparking a fire that forced the evacuation of about 70 residents.
Two people sustained minor injuries and were taken to the Galați County Emergency Clinical Hospital for treatment.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan described the attack as “the most serious incident to have affected Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine” and convened an emergency meeting of the country’s Supreme Defence Council.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said Russia’s “reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” adding that the alliance stood ready to defend every inch of Nato territory.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the incident, saying Russia’s war had “crossed yet another line.”
Romania’s defence ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drone was detected near the border.
Military officials said they had only four minutes between identifying the drone and its impact.
Authorities identified the aircraft as a Geran-2 drone, also known as the Shahed-136, an Iranian-designed drone widely used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine.
Romania’s foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador over the incident, calling it a “serious and irresponsible escalation” by Moscow.
Russia has not commented on the strike.
Drone fragments linked to the war in Ukraine have landed on Romanian territory dozens of times since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. However, Friday’s incident is the first to injure civilians inside Romania.
Romanian officials said the proximity of border towns like Galați to Ukrainian ports along the Danube River makes the region especially difficult to defend during Russian drone attacks targeting nearby Ukrainian infrastructure.
