A Russian drone struck an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați during an overnight attack on neighbouring Ukraine, prompting the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, to declare that the alliance is ready to defend every inch of its territory. The incident, which injured two people, was described by Romania as a grave and irresponsible escalation.
Rutte spoke with the Romanian president, Nicuşor Dan, and wrote on social media: “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all. I affirmed that Nato stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory.” Dan convened an emergency meeting of the supreme council of national defence, and the foreign ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador.
Romania’s foreign minister, Oana Țoiu, said consequences would follow, including diplomatic measures and steps at European level regarding sanctions. The foreign ministry asked Nato to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities and suggested invoking article 4 of the Nato treaty, which triggers formal discussions about threats to a member state's security. The ministry described the strike as a serious breach of international law.
The defence ministry said the drone was tracked by radar before crashing into the roof of a residential building, sparking a fire that led to evacuations. The Romanian military scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter authorised to engage targets, while emergency alerts were issued to residents.
International condemnation followed. France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, called the incident an irresponsible act, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said Russia’s war of aggression had crossed yet another line. Ukraine’s foreign minister said the incident showed Russia posed a threat to the whole of Europe. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin suggested without evidence that the drone might have been a stray Ukrainian weapon and offered to have the wreckage handed over to Russia for investigation.
