Russia Shuts Romanian Mission in St. Petersburg After Drone Incident Row

Russia moved Thursday to close Romania’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg and expel its consul general, in retaliation for Bucharest’s decision last month to shut down Russia’s consulate in Constanța after a Russian drone struck an apartment block in Romania.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Romanian Ambassador Cristian Istrate on Thursday and handed him a diplomatic note declaring Romania’s consul general in St. Petersburg persona non grata and announcing the closure of the consular office.

Moscow framed the decision as a response to Romania’s closure of Russia’s Consulate General in Constanța and the expulsion of its head following the May 29 drone crash in Galați.

Romania’s Foreign Ministry described the Russian move as expected, noting that it came in response to measures Bucharest took after the drone incident caused injuries and material damage.

Drone crash sparked NATO alarm

The diplomatic row stems from Russia’s overnight attack on May 28-29, when a Russian drone entered Romanian airspace and hit a 10-story apartment building in the eastern city of Galați, near the Ukrainian border.

A woman and a child suffered injuries, while dozens of residents were evacuated after the drone exploded and damaged the upper part of the building.

Romania’s Defense Ministry identified the weapon as a Russian Geran-2, a Shahed-type attack drone used by Moscow in repeated strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

The incident triggered sharp condemnation from NATO and the EU. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged that the alliance was ready to defend “every inch” of allied territory, while the EU called the crash a reckless violation of European airspace and blamed Russia’s war against Ukraine for the escalation.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan called the drone crash the most serious security incident on Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.