A Russian drone struck an apartment building in the eastern Romanian city of Galati early Friday, causing a fire and injuring two people, the country's defense ministry said.
The drone crashed as Russia carried out attacks in Ukraine near the border, the ministry said in a statement. The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said the drone's entire explosive payload detonated, sparking a fire on the 10th floor of the residential building.
Russian drones have strayed across the border of the NATO member state several times during the four-year war with Ukraine, but this marks the first time Romanian citizens have been hurt. Russia has yet to comment on the incident.
Romania's foreign ministry called the incident "a serious and irresponsible escalation on the part of the Russian Federation," adding that Bucharest had informed the NATO secretary general and "requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania."
Emergency services said two people received medical treatment for abrasions, and around 70 people were evacuated as the fire was extinguished.
A NATO spokesperson condemned "Russia's recklessness" in a statement on X, adding that the alliance would "continue to strengthen our defenses against all threats, including drones."
Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drones were detected in Romanian airspace, the defense ministry said. One drone entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar to the southern part of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, triggering a fire.
The nearby Danube River forms the border with Ukraine, and Ukrainian ports are regular targets of Russian air attacks. In an April incident, another Russian drone caused material damage in Galati but no injuries.
Romania's defense ministry says drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory 47 times since the start of the war in Ukraine, 12 of them this year alone.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Meanwhile, a nationwide air raid alert was issued overnight in Ukraine, and the port of Izmail in the Odesa region came under drone attack early Friday.
In a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, three utility workers were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Thursday, according to Kremlin-installed head Denis Pushilin, who also reported a fourth man seriously injured.
Source: www.bbc.com