NATO, EU condemn Russia after drone slams into Romania apartment building

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - BUCHAREST — A Russian drone carrying explosives crashed in the eastern Romanian city of Galați early Friday, setting the roof of a residential apartment block on fire, as Moscow’s forces attacked a nearby Ukrainian port.

The building was evacuated and two people sustained minor injuries, Oana Toiu, Romania's foreign minister, said.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan described it as "the most serious incident to affect the national territory" since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called for a "firm, coordinated and appropriate response" from European allies.

The strike drew swift condemnation from the European Union and NATO, with US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker calling the strike a “reckless incursion.”

“We will defend every inch of NATO territory,” he said on X.

Meanwhile, Bucharest has urged its allies to help with its anti-drone defenses, tapping into growing concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine could spill deeper into the continent.

“This drone entered national airspace at 1:54 a.m. and headed toward the eastern area of the city of Galati, but we lost it from radar south of Galati,” Romanian defense ministry spokesperson Colonel Cristian Popovici said.

Romanian defence minister Radu Miruță identified the drone as a Geran-2, the Russian version of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drone.

It was detected by radars and flew in Romanian airspace for around four minutes, Miruță said, adding that the explosives on board the drone detonated when it hit the building. Authorities are now working to recover debris from the crash.

An investigation is currently ongoing at the scene, and the perimeter has been secured, although residents have not yet been allowed to return home.

The roof of the apartment block was visibly charred, video footage showed, while response teams and investigators inspected the site of impact Friday morning. The Romanian military said there was “no opportunity” to shoot down the drone, but stressed that the “situation is under control.”

“We are not facing an attack on Romania, we are facing the effects of a conflict taking place right next to our border,” said Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces Command Brigadier General Gheorghe Maxim.

Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha said the incident “proved once again that Russian aggression poses a real threat to the Black Sea region and the entire Europe.”

Around the same time as the drone crashed into the apartment in Galati, Ukrainian authorities said the Izmail port area had come under Russian drone attack.

Romanian radars detected drones that were in Romanian airspace, according to the ministry statement. Two F-16 aircraft were deployed and the pilots were authorized to engage targets throughout the alert.

Romania, a former part of the communist Eastern Bloc, is a member of both NATO and the European Union.

Toiu said the foreign ministry has summoned Russia’s ambassador in Bucharest. In an earlier statement, she said Russia’s action “represents a serious and irresponsible escalation.”

Toiu added Romania has requested from the EU and NATO “measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities” to the country.

“Romania will act with the utmost determination to increase international pressure on the Russian Federation with a view to achieving an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” in the Ukraine-Russia war, the statement said.

NATO and the EU said Moscow has yet again crossed a line.

The alliance’s spokesperson Allison Hart said its secretary-general is in touch with Romanian authorities following the incident.

“We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and NATO will continue to strengthen our defences against all threats, including drones,” Hart said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it is preparing sanctions on Moscow and added “Russia’s war of aggression has crossed yet another line.”

European countries were also swift to condemn Russia.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has also summoned Russia’s ambassador, and condemned Russia’s “irresponsible act,” telling public broadcaster France Inter that Moscow has “targeted a friendly country, an EU and NATO member.”

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics also condemned the Russian drone strike and said it “stands in full solidarity with our ally Romania and is prepared to support appropriate measures to prevent such violations.”

Russian drones have breached Romania’s airspace 28 times since Moscow began attacking Kyiv’s ports across the Danube, Romania’s defense ministry said on Friday, according to the Reuters news agency.

In September 2025, NATO fighter jets shot down multiple Russian drones that violated Polish airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine. The military alliance denounced Moscow for “absolutely dangerous” behavior that ratcheted up tensions to a new level.

NATO's eastern flank has been plagued by errant drone incursions in recent weeks, with a wave of incidents taking place across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Moscow has accused the Baltic states of allowing Ukraine to use their airspace to carry out attacks on Russian soil and threatened to take action against them.

The Baltic governments issued a joint statement alongside Nordic allies saying they "firmly reject Russia’s blatant disinformation campaign and false claims".

"The Nordic-Baltic countries have never allowed their territory or airspace to be used for these attacks against targets in Russia," the statement read.

Speaking to Euronews earlier this month, Robertas Kaunas, Lithuania's minister of defence, said the Baltics must be prepared for even more drone incursions.

“This is the new reality of what the Baltic states face,” he told the Europe Today news program. “We need to adapt because the possibility of repeated similar scenarios is very high.”