Romania and France summoned the Russian ambassadors following the drone strike on Galați
Reuters reports on a drone strike on a residential building in Romania and the summoning of the Russian ambassador. Separately, Reuters reports that France will demand an explanation from the Russian ambassador over the incident in Romania.
On the night of 29 May, a Russian-made Geran-2 drone struck a ten-storey residential building in the city of Galați in south-eastern Romania.
According to Reuters, two people were injured. A fire broke out following the strike, damaging cars and the building’s stairwells. Seventy residents were evacuated from the building.
Romania is a member of NATO and the EU and shares a border of around 650 km with Ukraine. The incident was one of the most serious security breaches on its territory since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Romania summoned the Russian ambassador
Romanian officials described the strike as a serious violation of international law.
Following the incident, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador. Bucharest also informed its NATO allies. The Alliance stated its readiness to strengthen defences against such threats.
During the attack, Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter. However, Bucharest explained that due to the drone’s low altitude and the limited time to react, they were unable to shoot it down.
France’s position
France did not merely comment on the incident, but stated that it would demand an explanation from the Russian ambassador.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described Russia’s actions as irresponsible. According to him, this is not an isolated incident, as Russian drones and aircraft have repeatedly violated the airspace of EU and NATO countries.
Reuters also notes that France has around 1,500 troops in Romania and leads NATO operations there. Paris plans to discuss the situation with the Romanian side and representatives of the Alliance.
What is known about the Russian attack
A drone entered Romanian airspace during the Russian attack on Ukraine.
At the same time, Russian troops attacked the Ukrainian port of Izmail near the Romanian border.
Separately, Reuters reports that another drone with an unexploded warhead has been found in Romania’s Maramureș County in the north of the country.
According to the agency, this is the 28th violation of Romanian airspace since the start of Russian strikes on Ukrainian Danube ports.
Why this matters
The drone strike on a residential building in Galați shows that Russian attacks on Ukraine pose direct risks to civilians in NATO countries.
For Romania, this is not merely a matter of diplomatic protest, but also concerns the security of the Alliance’s eastern flank. For France, it is yet another argument in the debate over strengthening air defences and Europe’s response to Russian incidents near Ukraine’s borders.
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