To clarify what happened, Romanian authorities sent a special team composed of explosives experts and forensic specialists to Galați. The police opened an investigation aimed at determining the origin of the drone and the exact circumstances of the incident.
So far, the Romanian government has not officially confirmed whether the device was related to the Russian attacks against Ukraine. However, the episode occurs in a context of repeated incursions of drones and remnants of projectiles in Romanian territory since the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
A drone struck a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați during the night on Thursday, causing an explosion and a fire that left two people injured and forced the evacuation of dozens of residents, local authorities and media from Romania reported.
The incident occurred amid a new wave of Russian attacks against Ukraine and an air alert that spread across the entire Ukrainian territory during the early morning. Although Romanian authorities are still investigating the exact origin of the device, the episode has reignited alarms about the fall of drones linked to the war in Ukraine within the territory of NATO member countries.
According to local media reports, the drone crashed into a ten-story apartment building in Galați, a city located in eastern Romania, near the border with Ukraine and Moldova. After the impact, the explosive payload of the device detonated completely, generating a fire in one of the apartments of the building.
Firefighters, police, and emergency services quickly arrived at the scene to control the flames and evacuate the residents. The occupants of the affected apartment managed to escape on their own before the rescuers arrived.
A Russian drone struck a residential building in Romania, leaving injuries and damage.
Initially, authorities indicated that no casualties had been reported. However, they later confirmed that two people suffered minor injuries and received medical attention at the scene of the incident.
In total, about 70 people were temporarily evacuated from the building while specialists examined the structure and checked for the possible presence of new risks. Hours later, local officials indicated that it was no longer necessary to expand evacuations to other areas of the residential complex.
Emergency services also reported that the fire was extinguished quickly and that, according to initial reports, no other drones were detected in the vicinity after the impact.
On several occasions, drones used in attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure near the Danube River accidentally crossed Romanian airspace or left explosive fragments in areas close to the border. These situations have raised concerns within NATO due to the risk of the conflict inadvertently spreading to allied countries.
On May 16, the Romanian Ministry of Defense reported the discovery of an unexploded projectile on a property near the border with Ukraine. According to authorities, technical inspections confirmed that the device contained approximately two kilograms of explosives.
The Romanian government did not confirm that the Russian incursion was associated with the renewed attacks against Ukraine.
Galați is located about ten kilometers from the point where the borders of Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine converge, a strategic location that has made it one of the most sensitive areas of the country since the beginning of the war. The city is relatively close to the Ukrainian region of Odesa, a frequent target of Russian drone and missile attacks.
The incident again highlights the growing concern of countries bordering Ukraine about the risks arising from the war, especially regarding the possibility that drones, missiles, or explosive remnants accidentally cross into allied territory.
So far, Romanian authorities have not announced additional security measures nor specified whether the case will be formally addressed within NATO while the investigation into the origin of the drone that struck the residential building in Galați continues.
Russia has intensified attacks against several Ukrainian regions in recent days.
