A Russian drone hits a residential building in Romania, injuring several people

A Russian drone struck an apartment building in Romania, according to the country’s defense ministry, causing a fire and injuring two people.

The BBC reports that the incident happened in the eastern city of Galati, while Russia was carrying out airstrikes in Ukraine near the border, the official statement said.

The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said the drone’s explosive charge fully detonated, causing a fire on the 10th floor. of a residential building.

Russian drones have crossed the border of a NATO member country several times during the war in Ukraine, but this is the first time it has been reported to injure Romanian territory. Russia has not yet reacted to the incident.

Romania’s foreign ministry described the incident as “a serious and irresponsible escalation on the part of the Russian Federation”, adding that Bucharest has informed the NATO secretary general and requested the acceleration of the transfer of anti-drone capabilities.

Emergency services said two people received medical treatment for scratches and around 70 residents were evacuated as the fire blazed. was brought under control.

A NATO spokesman condemned the incident at Platform X, calling it “Russia’s carelessness” and adding that the alliance will continue to strengthen defenses against all threats, including drones.

Romania’s defense ministry said two F-16 fighter jets took off after the drones were detected in Romanian airspace. One of them was tracked by radar to the south of Galati, where it crashed into a residential building and started a fire.

The Danube River near the city serves as the border with Ukraine, while Ukrainian ports in the area are regularly targeted by Russian airstrikes.

In an earlier incident in April, another Russian drone caused material damage in Galati, but no casualties. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, since the start of the war in Ukraine, fragments of drones have been found on Romanian territory in 47 cases, 12 of them this year alone.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Meanwhile, an airstrike alert was also activated in Ukraine overnight, where authorities in the south said that the port of Izmail in the Odesa region was hit by a drone early on on Friday.

In a Russian-controlled area of the Donetsk region, three public utility workers were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Thursday, according to Kremlin-appointed authorities. A fourth person was seriously injured, Denis Pushilin said via the Telegram application. square

Source: prizrenpost