Galati: Romanian authorities announced that two people were injured when an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into a residential building in the southeastern city of Galati during a Russian attack last night on neighboring Ukraine.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Romanian Ministry of Defense stated that the drone crashed onto the roof of a ten-story residential building, causing an explosion and a fire. Fire and rescue teams rushed to the scene to control the blaze and evacuate residents.
The ministry added that Romania has experienced 28 airspace violations by Russian drones since the start of the Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube River.
Romania, a member of NATO and the European Union, shares a land border of approximately 650 kilometers with Ukraine.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it described as a "dangerous and irresponsible escalation" by Russia, confirming that it had informed its allies and the NATO Secretary General of the incident and requested the expedited transfer of counter-drone capabilities to Romania.
This is the first incident in which a drone has crashed inside a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries, raising fears that the war could spread beyond the Ukrainian border.