Nato condemns Russian 'recklessness' after drone hits Romanian apartment block

A Russian drone hit an apartment block in Romania causing a fire and wounding two people, officials say, prompting a strong response from Nato and EU officials.

The incident happened on Friday in the eastern town of Galati - close to Romania's eastern border with Ukraine and Moldova.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response that Russia's "war of aggression had crossed yet another line", while Nato condemned "Russia's recklessness".

Russian drones have strayed across Romania's border a number of times during the four-year war with Ukraine, but it is the first time citizens from the Nato country have been hurt. Russia has yet to comment on the incident.

Romania's emergency situations authority said the drone's entire explosive payload detonated and caused a fire on the 10th floor of the apartment block.

Two people received medical treatment after suffering abrasions and around 70 people were evacuated as the fire was put out.

President Nicușor Dan has convened an emergency meeting of Romania's Supreme Defence Council, describing the Russian drone strike as "the most serious incident to have affected Romanian territory since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine".

Romania's defence ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drones were detected. Brig Gen Gheorghe Maxim said the army had only had four minutes from when the drone was detected to the moment of impact.

Gen Maxim said Romanian forces were under significant constraints, as they could not fire munitions that violated Ukrainian airspace. "Ukraine is at war, but Romania is at peace. We cannot launch a projectile into Ukrainian airspace," he said.

Romania's military has sought to reassure the public that it was not an attack on the country but rather "a conflict at our border, with consequences for the local population".

"This incident represents a serious and irresponsible escalation on the part of the Russian Federation," Romania's foreign ministry said, adding Bucharest had informed the Nato secretary general and "requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania".

"One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar as far as the southern part of the city of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, with the impact triggering a fire," it said.

The River Danube nearby forms the border with Ukraine, and Ukrainian ports are regularly targets of Russian air attacks.

In an incident in April, another Russian drone caused material damage in Galati, but no injuries.

Romania's defence ministry says that since the start of the war in Ukraine, drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory on 47 separate occasions, 12 of them this year alone.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Meanwhile, a nationwide air raid alert was also issued overnight in Ukraine, where officials in the south of the country said the port of Izmail in the Odesa region came under drone attack early on Friday.

And in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, three utility workers were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Thursday, the Kremlin-installed head of the region said.

A fourth man was seriously injured in the incident, Denis Pushilin said on the Telegram messaging app.