A Russian drone wounded two people after striking an apartment building in Romania early Friday, in what officials described as the most serious spillover into the NATO member’s territory since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
The drone entered Romanian airspace during an overnight Russian attack on civilian and infrastructure targets in neighbouring Ukraine, according to Romania’s defence ministry.
“During the night of May 28-29, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania,” the ministry said.
It added that one of the drones was tracked by radar to the southern part of the city of Galați before crashing into the roof of an apartment building and triggering a fire.
A 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Emergency services later extinguished the fire.
Romania condemned the strike as a “serious and irresponsible escalation” by Russia. Bucharest summoned the Russian ambassador, while President Nicușor Dan convened a national defence council meeting to discuss what he called “the most serious incident to have affected our national territory” since the start of the war.
The defence ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after drones were detected in Romanian airspace. It also said Romania had requested faster delivery of anti-drone capabilities.
The incident is the latest example of the war in Ukraine spilling across international borders, but this was the first time a residential building in Romania had been hit.
NATO countries neighbouring Ukraine or Russia, including Romania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland, have faced repeated drone incursions. In Latvia, a row over stray Ukrainian drone incursions exposed weaknesses in the country’s air defences and contributed to the collapse of the previous government.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also said Friday that Russia’s “war of aggression has crossed yet another line.”
“We stand in full solidarity with Romania and its people,” she wrote on X.
“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 said, “Russia is a danger to all and must be stopped.”
