Drone Strikes Residential Block in Romania's Galați, Injuring Two

Overview

• On Friday night Romanian radar tracked a drone into Galați that collided with the roof of a ten‑storey apartment block, causing an impact fire, lightly injuring two people and forcing about 70 residents to evacuate.
• Romania scrambled two F‑16s and a military helicopter, convened its Supreme Defence Council, summoned the Russian ambassador and asked allies to speed up delivery of low‑altitude radars and interceptor drones.
• NATO and EU leaders publicly condemned the incident, pledged defensive support and prepared consultations while the EU signaled new sanctions measures against Russia.
• Bucharest and NATO have attributed the device to Russia but Moscow denies responsibility and has demanded access to debris for forensic testing, leaving origin disputed as investigations continue.
• The strike exposed gaps in Romania's short‑range detection and counter‑drone integration, marked the first direct hit on a NATO residential building in this campaign and could accelerate allied moves to bolster air‑defence on the eastern flank.