NATO accused Moscow on Friday of “reckless” behavior and pledged to “defend every inch of Allied territory” after a Russian drone crashed into an apartment block in the alliance member state during an attack on neighboring Ukraine.
Romania’s defense ministry said a woman and a child suffered minor injuries in Galati near the border with Ukraine overnight after radar tracked a Russian drone entering Romanian airspace.
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Photos from the scene showed charred and damaged brickwork on the roof of the 10-storey apartment block, which Romanian authorities said was hit by a drone that exploded on impact, tearing through a top-floor flat.
“Russia’s reckless behavior is a danger to us all,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on X after speaking by phone to Romanian President Nicușor Dan.
“I affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” he added, without mentioning NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause. “We will continue to enhance our readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including from drones.”
Romania has asked NATO allies to deploy additional anti-drone capabilities to the eastern European country. A NATO spokesperson said on Friday that “potential additional defensive measures are considered.”
‘Unprecedented’ incident
Romanian President Nicușor Dan called the drone crash the “most serious incident” since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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“The unprecedented nature of the event demands a firm, coordinated and proportionate response – at national, allied and international level.”
He added: “Romania is a NATO member state and will not accept, under any circumstances, that the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine be transferred to its citizens.”
The Romanian president said the Russian consulate in the southeastern city of Constanta would be closed and the consul expelled.
Russian media cited the country’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, as saying that Moscow would respond swiftly to that decision.
Zakharova also claimed on Friday that reports of Russian drones flying in Europe were unsubstantiated and that no evidence had been provided.
Russia ‘crossed yet another line’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to support Romania “in whatever way is necessary”, adding that he was counting on strong EU sanctions on Russia that would “make Russia feel that its strikes mean significant losses for Russia itself.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Russia had “crossed yet another line” and that the EU stands in “full solidarity” with Romania and its people.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed “solidarity” with Romania and called the drone crash “another instalment of the hybrid war in which NATO’s eastern flank countries are participating.”
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski added: “Regardless of whether it was on purpose or the result of ineptitude, Russia is still dangerous and we must defend ourselves against it.”
Romania received similar statements of support from across the EU and NATO, including Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Moldova.
The incident marks the first time a densely populated area in a NATO country has been hit with injuries being caused during Russia’s war in Ukraine, and has increased tensions on the alliance’s eastern flank as member states worry about the war spilling over their borders.
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