Police and forensic investigators examine the location of impact after a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Galati, western Romania.
Daniel Mihailescu | Afp | Getty Images
A Russian drone collided with an apartment building in Romania, a NATO member state, early on Friday morning.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan said in a post on X on Friday morning that he had convened a meeting of his national defense council in response to what he called “the most serious incident to affect the national territory” since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022.
The collision occurred in Galați, Dan said, a city near Romania’s border with Ukraine.
“We will order proportionate measures in relation to the Russian Federation,” he said, adding that the strike had resulted in injuries. “The unprecedented nature of the event demands a firm, coordinated, and appropriate response — at the national, allied, and international levels.”
Dan added that full responsibility lay with Russia and “the irresponsible and indiscriminate manner in which Moscow operates these weapon systems in the immediate vicinity of NATO borders, as well as the systematic disregard for international law.”
He said that Romania’s armed forces acted in accordance with established procedure and were under firm orders to shoot down the drone as soon as conditions allowed. But a decision was ultimately made not to shoot the aircraft down due to “heightened risk of endangering civilian safety.”
All NATO allies and EU member countries had been informed of the incident, Dan said. His government has requested additional deployments of NATO anti-drone capabilities to Romania, and will alert the UN Security Council about Russia’s “repeated violation of international law.”
The apartment building was struck as Russia attacked Ukrainian infrastructure near the border between Romania and Ukraine, a NATO spokesperson said Friday morning.
“We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and NATO will continue to strengthen our defenses against all threats, including drones,” they said.
NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte is in touch with Romanian authorities, according to the spokesperson.
EU preps fresh sanctions
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X on Friday morning that “Russia’s war of aggression has crossed yet another line.”
“A Russian drone incursion struck a densely populated area in Romania, injuring civilians. On EU territory,” she said. “We stand in full solidarity with Romania and its people. As we continue strengthening our security and deterrence, especially on our Eastern border, we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia.”
Von der Leyen added that the EU was preparing a 21st package of sanctions on Russia.
CNBC reached out to the Russian government for comment.
Ukraine’s parliament ratified a 90 billion-euro ($104.6 billion) loan agreement with the EU on Thursday.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, a peninsula in southern Ukraine. In the same year, armed conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists.