KYIV — A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people, Romanian authorities said Friday (May 29).
This photo released by Romania's Department for Emergency Situations shows a fire on top of a block of flats after a drone crash caused an explosion and fire on impact, in Galati, eastern Romania near the Ukrainian border on Friday .
KYIV — A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people, Romanian authorities said Friday . In response to the crash in the city of Galati, Nato member Romania asked the alliance for a faster transfer of anti-drone capabilities to its military, the Foreign Ministry said, calling the drone's flight a serious violation of international law. Gen.
Gheorghe Maxim, a stand-in commander for the Romanian Armed Forces joint staff, said at a press conference Friday that the incident "is not an attack from Russia against Romania", but "Romanians should understand that Russia is a threat to the security of the countries in the area". Police and other agencies responded at the scene. Galati is on the Danube River, near the borders of Ukraine and Moldova.
Ukrainian forces shot down 217 drones overnight on Friday according to the country's air force. In total, Russia attacked with 232 drones and one ballistic missile. The drone was tracked by radar in Romanian airspace and crashed onto the roof of a building in Galati, Romania's Defence Ministry said in a statement. The impact was followed by a fire.
Two people suffered minor injuries, and several others were evacuated. While Romania has confirmed drone fragments on its territory on multiple occasions since the war started in 2022, including in Galati in April this year, no one has previously been hurt in any of the drone incidents.
In response to the latest incident, Romanian President Nicusor Dan convened the Nato member's top defence body for a meeting on Friday to discuss the implications of what he called "the worst incident to hit the national territory" since Russia invaded Ukraine, and blamed Russia directly for the incident.
"We will have proportional measures in relation to the Russian Federation. ... There is no ambiguity about the author and the cause of this assault," he wrote in a post on Facebook. Dan added that his thoughts are with the injured people, families and residents "who experienced terrible moments in their own homes.
" The Romanian military scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter that were authorised to engage targets, and alert messages were sent to residents of the affected areas. Russia has been using long-range ballistic missiles and drones to damage Ukraine's power grid and hammer cities, and Ukraine has braced for further heavy bombardments.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb condemned the drone strike in Romania and wrote in a social media post that "Russia is crossing another line in its war of aggression against Ukraine". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said the incident showed that Russia "has crossed yet another line". She said the EU will keep strengthening security along its eastern border and was actively drafting another set of sanctions against Russia, the 21st so far.
"A Russian drone incursion struck a densely populated area in Romania, injuring civilians," she wrote in a social media post. "On EU territory. " Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the risk of such "serious incidents" was raised by "Putin's increasing nervousness, driven by military setbacks". "Russia is growing weaker on the battlefield in its war against Ukraine, yet it continues to pursue its objectives through brutal drone and missile attacks," he said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he was pressing the US to provide more Patriot air defence missiles that can counter the Russian attacks. He warned that deliveries to Ukraine are falling dangerously short as the Iran war diverts and depletes US stocks.
"I believe must act quicker. We are being very persistent," Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the UN Security Council that the escalation and intensification of attacks risks getting out of control, with "unknown and unintended consequences". He said that more civilians have been killed in the first four months of this year than in the same period in the past three years.
Guterres called for more diplomacy, immediate de-escalation and "a full and unconditional ceasefire".
Please follow us on Google to support usSingapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Teen Charged After 174 km/h Police Chase and Multiple Traffic OffencesA 17‑year‑old was arrested following a high‑speed chase that saw him exceed speed limits by over 80 km/h, run red lights, drive against traffic and crash into several stationary cars. He faces numerous charges including dangerous driving, use of a forged licence and driving a deregistered vehicle.
Read more »
EU Rejects Neutral Mediation Role in Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks, Focuses on Red Lines and SanctionsEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declared that Europe will not act as a neutral mediator between Ukraine and Russia, emphasizing alignment with Ukraine and security interests. Amid stalled US efforts, EU ministers debated conditions for any future talks, with Kallas warning that naming a special envoy is a Russian trap. The bloc is prioritizing the establishment of tough preconditions-including a Russian cease-fire and non-recognition of annexed territories-while preparing a new sanctions package.
Read more »
Putin Seeks to Change War Narrative with Escalated Aerial AttacksRussian President Vladimir Putin appears ready to escalate Russian aerial attacks on the Ukrainian capital in an effort to boost domestic approval ratings and change the narrative around the conflict.
Read more »