Europe and NATO warn Moscow after Russian drone hits residential building in Romania

Romania accused Russia on Friday of a “serious and irresponsible escalation” after a drone hit a high-rise residential building inside Romania, very close to the border with Ukraine. The incident sparked reactions and was condemned by Europe, NATO and the United States.

The drone entered Romanian airspace during nighttime strikes against Ukraine and crashed into a residential building in Galați, a city on the Danube River, Romania's Defense Ministry announced on Friday.

According to the ministry, the drone crash caused a fire, prompting an emergency response involving several security and rescue agencies.

According to Romanian officials, this prompted an evacuation of the building and at least two people suffered minor injuries.

"This incident represents a serious and irresponsible escalation on the part of the Russian Federation," Romania's Foreign Minister, Toiu Oana, said in a post on X.

Russia has not yet commented on the incident.

She added that Bucharest has notified European Union (EU) member states, NATO allies and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and that it has "requested measures to accelerate the transfer of counter-drone capabilities to Romania."

"The Russian Federation bears direct responsibility for these serious and irresponsible actions," Oana said.

"Russia's reckless behavior is dangerous for all of us," NATO chief Mark Rutte said in a reaction to the incident, stressing that NATO "is ready to defend every inch of Alliance territory."

"They continue to target civilians and civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine, and last night showed once again that the consequences of their illegal aggressive war do not stop at the border," Rutte said.

Romania's President, Nicusor Dan, said he has convened the Supreme National Defense Council to discuss the consequences of the "most serious incident" that has affected Romanian territory since the start of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.

"We will take proportionate measures against the Russian Federation," he said.

The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, condemned the attack, describing it as a "reckless incursion" into Romanian territory, stating that the United States stands with "our NATO ally, Romania."

"We will defend every inch of NATO territory," Whitaker declared.

US Congressman Joe Wilson declared that Russia, "aggressively and unprovoked", has attacked Romania, saying that "families sleeping in their homes are the target" and that "prevention is the only way to stop Russia's perverse actions."

It is not clear whether Bucharest will request emergency consultations under Article 4 of the alliance.

Consultations under Article 4 – a provision of the NATO treaty that allows any member country to formally request emergency consultations with allies whenever its territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened – have been called three times since Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

Article 4 is simply a consultation mechanism. Its activation does not guarantee a military response or the activation of Article 5, which has only been used once in the alliance's 77-year history, after the September 11 attacks in the United States.

Romania, a NATO and EU member that shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine, has recorded 28 incursions by Russian drones into its airspace since Moscow began attacks on Ukrainian ports along the Danube River during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha warned that "Russian aggression poses a real threat to the Black Sea region and all of Europe."

Maia Sandu, president of Moldova, which borders both Romania and Ukraine, strongly condemned what she described as "Russian drones hitting Romanians in their homes."

"This is serious," she wrote on the X platform. "Russia is a danger to everyone and must be stopped."

"Russia's aggressive war has crossed yet another line," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.

"A Russian drone incursion hit a densely populated area in Romania, injuring civilians. On EU territory," she said.

"We will continue to increase pressure on Russia. We are preparing the 21st package of sanctions," she said./REL