TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A Russian drone crashed onto the roof of a block of flats in the southeastern Romanian city of Galati, injuring two people, Romania's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday, DW reported.
"During the night of May 28-29, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania," the ministry said.
"One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar as far as the southern part of the city of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, with the impact triggering a fire," the ministry statement added.
Galati is located close to Romania's borders with Ukraine and Moldova.
What else do we know about the drone incident?
The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said that the drone hit a 10-story apartment building. Two people sustained light injuries, and the apartment building was evacuated.
Russia has repeatedly attacked the Ukrainian port of Reni on the Danube, near Galati, amid its war with Ukraine.
According to authorities, a Russian drone crashed in Galati a month ago, striking the outbuilding of a residential home. No one was injured.
Romania, EU, NATO condemn Russia over drone incursion
The Romanian Foreign Ministry called the incident a "grave and irresponsible escalation from Russia."
"Romania has informed allies and NATO's secretary general about the circumstances and requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania," the ministry said.
Romania is a member of NATO and the European Union. The incident is the latest case of a NATO member country reporting violations by Russian drones and jets in recent months.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia had "crossed yet another line" after one of its drones breached Romanian airspace.
"We stand in full solidarity with Romania and its people," she said on X. "As we continue strengthening our security and deterrence, especially on our eastern border, we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia."
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance would defend "every inch" of its territory as he vowed "absolute solidarity" with Romania.
"Russia's reckless behavior is a danger to us all," he said on X.
"We will continue to strengthen our deterrence and defense at home and continue our support for Ukraine as they defend against Russia's aggression," he added.
Germany: 'We need a strong NATO presence on the eastern flank'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz assured Romania of Berlin's solidarity and support following the "reckless" incident, saying on social media that Germany stands shoulder to shoulder with its NATO allies.
"The incident shows once again: We need a strong NATO presence on the eastern flank," he wrote. "We are ready to defend the alliance's territory."
Article five of the NATO treaty states that an attack on one member of the alliance will be treated as an attack on all. But Germany's Ministry of Defense stated that overnight incident represented "no change in the situation."
"Russia's reckless behavior continues to threaten our collective security," said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. "Our response is unity. We stand with [Romania]. Our thoughts are with those injured."
France and Austria summon Russian ambassadors
France and Austria both said on Friday that they had summoned the Russian ambassadors to their respective countries over the incident.
"This new irresponsible escalation, carried out in blatant violation of international law, once again shows that Russia's war of aggression poses a threat to the security of Europe and NATO as a whole," read a statement from the French foreign ministry.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Moscow had targeted "a country of the European Union and a NATO country."
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said she wanted to "clearly express Austria's protest against Russia's escalation" and insisted: "Europe will not be intimidated."
Another drone found in northern Romania
In a separate incident, a drone without an explosive charge was found near Baia Mare in northwestern Romania. The area was secured, according to a late Thursday report by TVR, citing local authorities.
Authorities are investigating the drone's origin and how it ended up in the area. According to the report, the drone had a wingspan of about 3 meters (9.8 feet).
Russian drones strike Ukraine's Izmail
Meanwhile, local authorities in Ukraine's southern Odesa region announced on Telegram that drones had struck the Izmail port area overnight.
According to the post, one of the drones got stuck in the power lines, temporarily cutting off electricity to five villages.
Izmail, which is close to the Romanian border, is home to the largest Ukrainian port on the Danube River and is frequently targeted by Russia due to its strategic location.
Russia denies everything
The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied any involvement in any of the incidents and denied that they even took place.
"All the accusations that we hear, in particular about drones somewhere in the countries of the European Union, they are all unsubstantiated," said spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, claiming incorrectly: "Not a single fact, material, piece of evidence has been presented."
Read: Ukrainian Drone Strike in Russian-Controlled Area Leaves 10 Dead
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