A Russian drone hit a block of flats in the eastern town of Galați, Romania, causing a fire and injuring two people, Romanian officials said. The incident occurred on Friday near the border with Ukraine and was condemned by Nato and the European Union.

Incident in Galați and Casualty Details

Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the drone was likely hit by Ukrainian air defences over Kyiv’s territory, altering its trajectory. Russian President Vladimir Putin later questioned whether the drone was Russian.

This is the first time Romanians have been hurt in a drone incident, as Russia has previously launched drones that strayed into Romanian airspace during the four-year war with Ukraine. Romania’s emergency situations authority confirmed the drone’s entire explosive payload detonated and caused a fire on the 10th floor of the residential building.

Two people with abrasions required medical treatment and were taken to the Galați County Emergency Clinical Hospital. About 70 people were evacuated as the fire was put out. Romania’s defence ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drones were detected.

Defence Constraints and Response

Brig Gen Gheorghe Maxim said Romanian forces had only four minutes from when the drone was detected to the moment of impact. He also noted that Romanian forces could not fire munitions that violated Ukrainian airspace. “Ukraine is at war, but Romania is at peace. We cannot launch a projectile into Ukrainian airspace,” he said.

President Dan said the drone was likely hit while over Ukraine, apparently by Ukraine’s air defences. “There was a group of 43 drones coming from the east. Some were shot down over Ukraine, and one was hit above the [Ukrainian] city of Reni, which altered its trajectory.”

Dan also said his administration would expel the Russian consul in the Black Sea port of Constanța and shut down the consulate. Moscow said it “won’t take long” to respond.

International Reactions and Calls for Action

President Dan convened an emergency meeting of Romania’s Supreme Defence Council, describing the Russian drone strike as “the most serious incident to have affected Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”

The country’s foreign ministry said Bucharest had “requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania” from Nato. Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, said he had spoken to President Dan and told him the alliance “stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory.”

“We will continue to enhance our readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including from drones,” Rutte added. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: “Russia’s war of aggression has crossed yet another line.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the incident “proved once again that Russian aggression poses a real threat to the Black Sea region.” He urged other countries to strengthen support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia “to restore peace and security in the region.”

In a post on social media on Friday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had expressed support for Romania during a phone call with President Dan. “We will be in constant communication with Romania and will continue to work together to protect life from all potential Russian threats,” Zelensky added.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the drone hit was a “serious violation” of Nato airspace, and added that the UK stood “shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, with Romania, and with all our Nato allies in the face of continued Russian aggression.” Other European politicians also condemned the incident, including the French foreign minister, the US Ambassador to Nato, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.