‘No One Can Tell Its Origin’: Putin Denies Russia Was Behind Romanian Apartment Block Strike

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said tthe drone which crashed into a residential block in Galați, Romania, during the overnight attack on Ukraine, May 29, could possibly be Ukrainian.

According to Meduza, Putin said that the drone, which hit a residential building in the Romanian city and injured two people in their home, may possibly be of Ukrainian origin.

In a recent press conference, following a visit to Kazakhstan, he stated he only found out about the incident upon entering the hall, describing that European countries sought to “continue the confrontation with Russia and to justify exorbitant spending from their state budgets”.

“Just before entering this hall, I was informed that there was some event with, supposedly, our drone,” he said, adding that the EU always hurries to call any unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Russian, although that is not the case. According to him, it is usually Ukrainian drones that enter NATO spaces during technical shortcomings.

Speaking about the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Putin said: “She did not explore the remains of this drone. No one can tell the origin of this or that aircraft until the examination of the aircraft is carried out.”

He continued:

“After all, we know that Ukrainian drones flew to Finland, and to Poland, and Ukrainian drones flew somewhere in the Baltic countries. The first reaction was the same as in Romania. Here’s the guard, the Russians are leaving, the Russians are beating. Then after a short time it turned out that it had nothing to do with Russian aircraft.”

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According to AFP, Putin said Friday that “Russia has never threatened and is not threatening European countries” in remarks made after Romania accused its neighbour of responsibility for a drone that hit an apartment block. 

Apartment building struck in NATO member country

According to Romania’s defense ministry, a Russian drone struck an apartment building in NATO-member Romania after crossing into the country’s airspace during Moscow’s overnight attacks on Ukraine, during the night of May 28-29.

“One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar as far as the southern part of the city of Galați, and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, with the impact triggering a fire,” the ministry added, concluding that two people were wounded in the attack.

As Baltic states continue fortifying their borders with Russia and Belarus, the latest incident marks another serious escalation.

Currently, Romania is planning to expel Russia’s consul general in Constanțan and close its consulate, as this strike was not the first one to be reported. Although there were drone incursions near its border, this was the first confirmed case of a drone striking a residential building.

Romania joined NATO in 2004 and is now one of the key countries helping to secure the alliance’s eastern front. Before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia insisted that NATO pull its forces out of Eastern European states, including Romania.