NATO member Romania says a Russian plane hit an apartment building, injuring 2

NATO member Romania on Friday said a drone wounded two people in a southeastern city during Russia’s airstrikes on neighboring Ukraine, marking the first time in the war that a drone has struck a populated area in Romania and caused casualties.

The incident in Romania, which is also a member of the European Union, is likely to increase tensions on the eastern side of NATO at a time when Ukraine’s allies are worried about Russia’s war on its neighbor spilling over its borders.

“We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and NATO will continue to strengthen its defense against all threats, including drones,” a NATO spokesman told X.

A plane crashed into the roof of a 10-story building in Galatia, causing an explosion, Romanian authorities said.

‘Breach of international law’

“Preliminary information indicates that the entire Geran 2 aircraft, of Russian origin, exploded,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Romania, which shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine, has faced Russian drone strikes 28 times since Moscow began attacking Kyiv’s ports across the Danube River, Romania’s Defense Ministry said.

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu called the incident “a serious violation of international law” and said Bucharest “requested steps to speed up the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania.” He said the Russian ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said Russia had “crossed yet another line.”

There was no immediate comment from the Russian defense ministry.

Ukrainian drones have strayed into the airspace of the Baltic states in recent weeks, sowing confusion and increasing tensions with Russia.

F-16 jets are down

Romania’s Defense Ministry said it had scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a fighter jet to monitor the attack, adding that the pilots were authorized to shoot down any incoming aircraft. Residents of the border regions of Braila, Galati and Tulcea have been warned to flee.

Brigadier General Gheorghe Maxim of Romania told a press conference that the drone was in Romanian airspace for four minutes, flying low, making it difficult for radar to detect. He said the US anti-drone system Merops was working in Romania but it would have been too dangerous to be used in the city.

In Friday’s incident, a fire broke out in a 10th-floor apartment after a plane hit the roof of the building and exploded, Romanian emergency services said. Two people were receiving treatment at the site, 70 people said.

The state-run news agency Agerpres quoted paramedics in Galatia as saying that a woman and her child were taken to hospital with minor injuries, while two others were treated at the site for shock.

2nd drone reported

Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat, who is in charge of the emergency agency, told private broadcaster Digi24 that the plane hit two building staircases and damaged five cars.

In another incident, an unexploded plane was found near Basesti in Maramures County in northwestern Romania and the area is safe, broadcaster TVR said Thursday night, citing local authorities.

Authorities are investigating the origin of the drone, which reportedly had a wingspan of about 3 meters, and how it came to be in the area, TVR said.

Galatia was last hit in April, when a plane damaged a power pole and a house connector, forcing people to evacuate. Officials returned the drone to detonate its payload remotely.