Drone incursions in Romania have been detected several times since the start of the Russian offensive against neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, but this is the first time that one of these devices has fallen on a residential building.
The Defense Ministry of Romania, a NATO member country, said this Friday, May 29, that a Russian drone hit a residential building on its territory, in the town of Galati, near the border with Ukraine.
“On the night of May 28-29, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks against civilian targets and infrastructure in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania. One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar to the southern part of the city of Galati, then crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, causing a fire upon impact,” the ministry wrote in a press release.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced “a serious and irresponsible escalation” by Russia. “Romania informed its allies and the NATO Secretary General of the situation and requested that measures be taken to accelerate the transfer of means of combating drones to Romania,” he added in a press release.
A first since the start of the war
Drone incursions in Romania have been detected several times since the start of the Russian offensive against neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, but this is the first time that one of these devices has fallen on a residential building.
When the drones were detected near Romanian airspace, two F-16 fighters took off from the Fetesti air base in eastern Romania and were “allowed to engage the targets for the duration of the alert”, added the Ministry of Defense.
According to the Romanian emergency services, the drone’s entire charge exploded and the two occupants of the affected apartment, who were able to evacuate the building by their own means, were treated on site for abrasions.
A national air alert was triggered in Ukraine during the night from Thursday to Friday in anticipation of new Russian raids, before being lifted a few hours later. At least two people were injured in Zaporizhia (south) in a fire sparked by an attack, according to regional authorities.
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