NATO has condemned what it described as Russia’s “reckless behaviour” after a drone reportedly crossed into Romanian airspace and struck an apartment block in Galati, near the Ukrainian border.
Romanian authorities said a woman and child sustained minor injuries after the drone exploded on impact during an overnight attack linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on X after speaking by phone to Romanian President Nicusor Dan, whose country is in both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.
“I affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” he said, without making any mention of triggering NATO’s mutual defence clause. “We will continue to enhance our readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including from drones.”
Russia’s TASS news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the incident. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said all the accusations about Russian drones flying in Europe were unsubstantiated, RIA reported.
Key developments:
- Romania said Russian drones have breached its airspace 28 times since 2022.
- Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled during the incident.
- President Nicusor Dan announced the closure of Russia’s consulate in Constanta.
The incident is expected to heighten security concerns across NATO’s eastern flank amid ongoing regional tensions linked to the Ukraine war.
ℹ️ Reuters
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
tut0ugh 