NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared that the alliance is prepared to defend “every inch” of its territory after a Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania during an overnight attack linked to the war in Ukraine.
The incident occurred in the Romanian city of Galați, located near the borders of Ukraine and Moldova, where the drone crashed into the roof of a residential building, sparking a fire and injuring two civilians. Emergency services evacuated residents from the building while Romanian military radar tracked the drone’s movement through the country’s airspace.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan convened an emergency meeting of the country’s Supreme Council of National Defence following the strike. Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador and warned that the incident would have diplomatic consequences.
“Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” NATO chief Mark Rutte said in a statement after speaking with the Romanian president. “NATO stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory.”
Romanian officials described the drone strike as a “grave and irresponsible escalation” and a violation of international law. The government also requested NATO to accelerate the deployment of anti-drone defense systems to the country and signaled it may invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which allows consultations when a member state feels threatened.
Russia denied responsibility for intentionally targeting Romania. President Vladimir Putin suggested, without presenting evidence, that the drone could have been a stray Ukrainian weapon and proposed an independent investigation.
The European Union and several Western leaders strongly condemned the incident. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia’s “war of aggression has crossed yet another line,” while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called the strike on a NATO and EU member state “irresponsible.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also warned that the incident demonstrated how Russian aggression threatens the security of the entire Black Sea region and Europe.
The strike comes amid intensified Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, raising growing concerns that the conflict could increasingly spill over into neighboring NATO countries.
