- A fire broke out overnight on the tenth floor of a residential building in Galați after a drone — already described by Romania’s Foreign Ministry as Russian — crashed into the apartment block. Four people were injured, two of them hospitalized, while around seventy residents had to be evacuated.
- What Happened Next
- One Incident — Two Different Responses
- Nicușor Dan Thanks NATO — Critics Respond
- Moldova’s Reaction
A fire broke out overnight on the tenth floor of a residential building in Galați after a drone — already described by Romania’s Foreign Ministry as Russian — crashed into the apartment block. Four people were injured, two of them hospitalized, while around seventy residents had to be evacuated.
The Russian ambassador was summoned to Romania’s Foreign Ministry even before the military explained why the drone had been allowed to reach the building in the first place. That explanation came later — and very cautiously.
What Happened Next
Romanian Defense Ministry spokesman Cristian Popovici stated that the military is bound by strict legal constraints. According to him, force can only be used if it does not create additional risks for civilians. The drone, he said, was not shot down over the city because of the danger posed by falling debris in a densely populated area of Galați.
In other words, the drone was detected. It was tracked. But it was not intercepted — and it ultimately hit a residential building.
Romanian authorities described the incident as a “serious and irresponsible escalation” by Russia. At the same time, the Defense Ministry claims to possess evidence proving the drone was Russian. Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu stated this publicly, although no evidence has yet been presented. For now, critics say, the claims resemble the classic British-style “highly likely” formula — strong certainty in words, but without publicly available proof.
One Incident — Two Different Responses
Another aspect observers highlighted is the contrast with a similar incident in Latvia earlier this year. Following the crash of a drone there, political fallout quickly followed: Latvia’s defense minister resigned, and later the prime minister also lost her position amid the broader political crisis.
In Romania, however, there have been no resignations so far. The Defense Ministry limited itself to citing legal restrictions. President Nicușor Dan convened the Supreme Council of National Defense and simultaneously declared that he had “no doubts whatsoever regarding the author and the causes” of the incident.
That certainty, expressed before the council meeting even took place, has raised additional questions. Critics ask why a national security meeting is needed if the conclusions are already predetermined.
Many Romanians now want answers to a more immediate issue: why the military observed the drone but chose not to neutralize it before civilians were harmed.
Nicușor Dan Thanks NATO — Critics Respond
President Dan later thanked NATO for its solidarity after the incident.
“I thanked the Secretary General and our allies for their solidarity. We agreed to continue close coordination within NATO to strengthen our defense and the Eastern Flank,” he wrote.
Romanian journalist Anca Alexandrescu from Realitatea Plus reacted sharply:
“So? Did he explain how NATO protected us this time? Weren’t you the ones constantly saying we were under NATO’s umbrella? You are all responsible for what is happening. You are now reaping what you sowed. Billions were poured into a war that is not ours. And now billions more are being spent on outdated military systems that proved useless in real conflicts.”
She also accused Romanian authorities of hypocrisy regarding “disinformation” and demanded evidence for previous political decisions, including the cancellation of elections.
Moldova’s Reaction
Moldovan President Maia Sandu also commented on the incident, strongly condemning what she called a Russian drone strike against Romanian civilians.
“I strongly condemn the strike by a Russian drone against Romanian civilians in their homes in Galați. This is yet another proof that Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine affects the entire region and threatens human lives,” she wrote.
Critics, however, immediately pointed to what they describe as a double standard, asking whether Sandu had issued a similar condemnation regarding the strike on the dormitory in Star obilsk that reportedly killed students. According to them, no such statement could be found on the Moldovan president’s official social media accounts.
