A Russian drone hit an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galati, near the border with Ukraine, early this Friday. The impact caused a fire that caused minor injuries to two people, according to the authorities of the Balkan country.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers it a “serious and irresponsible escalation by Russia.” “Romania has informed its allies and the Secretary General of NATO about the circumstances and has requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania,” the ministry adds.
Meanwhile, local authorities in southern Ukraine have reported that the port of Izmail, in the Odessa region, has been attacked by several drones in the early hours of the morning, according to Reuters. Izmail, near the border with Romania, is home to the largest Ukrainian port on the Danube River and is a frequently attacked strategic target.
In Galati, Romania’s General Inspectorate of Emergency Situations has explained that the drone hit the tenth floor of the residential building and its explosive charge completely detonated, forcing about 70 people to evacuate. Firefighters who rushed to the scene managed to extinguish the fire. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital. “There were no fatalities (…) The residents remain evacuated until the technicians finish the inspections, including the structure of the building,” the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat, told the digi24.ro portal.
Before the impact, an emergency alert was issued after drones were detected close to Romanian airspace and two F-16 fighter planes took off at 01:19 local time (00:19 Spanish peninsular time) from the Fetesti military base, according to the Romanian Ministry of Defense. “The pilots of the aircraft had authorization to attack targets throughout the alert period,” he added.
A Romanian Air Force helicopter supported the operations, while a team of investigators specialized in explosions went to the scene. The Defense Ministry had previously reported a nighttime Russian drone strike against Ukraine. The city of Galati is located on the banks of the Danube, near the borders with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
