Russian Drone Strike Hits Galati Apartment Building, Injuring Two Romanian Citizens
A Russian drone impacted an apartment building in Galati, Romania, during overnight attacks near the Ukrainian border, according to the Romanian defence ministry. The incident, which occurred early on Friday, resulted in a fire on the tenth floor of the residential block and left two individuals with abrasions, necessitating medical treatment. Approximately 70 residents were evacuated as emergency services extinguished the blaze.
This marks the first time Romanian citizens have sustained injuries from Russian drone incursions into the NATO member state. The drone's entire explosive payload detonated upon impact. Romania's foreign ministry condemned the incident as a "serious and irresponsible escalation" by the Russian Federation, informing the NATO secretary general and requesting accelerated transfers of anti-drone capabilities to Romania.
Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after drones were detected in Romanian airspace. The defence ministry confirmed that one drone, tracked by radar, crashed into the building's roof. While drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory on 47 occasions since February 2022, and another drone caused material damage in Galati in April, this is the first direct injury to civilians.
The River Danube, which forms the border with Ukraine, is frequently targeted by Russian air attacks on Ukrainian ports. Meanwhile, a nationwide air raid alert was issued in Ukraine overnight, with the port of Izmail in the Odesa region reportedly coming under drone attack. Separately, three utility workers were killed and a fourth seriously injured in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region on Thursday, according to the Kremlin-installed regional head.
