Russian drone hits residential building in Romania, injuring two

Romanian authorities said a Russian drone struck a residential complex in eastern Romania, injuring at least two people and triggering a fire in what officials described as the most serious spillover incident since the start of the war in Ukraine. Romania’s emergency services agency said the drone hit an apartment building in the eastern city of Galați near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova early on Friday, forcing the evacuation of around 70 residents. Authorities said the two injured civilians received medical treatment while firefighters worked to contain the blaze caused by the impact. NATO condemned the incident, with alliance spokesperson Allison Hart describing the strike as another example of Russia’s reckless conduct during the war in Ukraine. Hart said Mark Rutte spoke with Romanian officials following the incident and reaffirmed NATO’s support for the country, which is both a NATO and European Union member. Romanian President Nicușor Dan convened an emergency meeting of the country’s Supreme Council of National Defense and called the strike the most serious event affecting Romanian territory since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Romania’s defense ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after military radar systems detected drones approaching Romanian airspace, adding that the military had only four minutes to react before the impact occurred. Russian drones and missile debris have repeatedly entered Romanian territory during Moscow’s nearly four-year war against Ukraine, particularly in areas close to the Danube River and Black Sea region. However, this was the first reported incident causing injuries to Romanian civilians. Romania has become increasingly important to NATO’s eastern defenses since the beginning of the conflict, hosting allied troops, air defense systems and logistical support operations for Ukraine. Moscow has not officially commented on the latest incident. Russia has previously denied intentionally targeting NATO territory, even as neighboring countries repeatedly reported drone incursions and falling debris linked to attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. The post Russian drone hits residential building in Romania, injuring two appeared first on Khaama Press.