In the Romanian city of Galați, a residential building was struck by a drone early in the morning, resulting in a fire and minor injuries to two people. The Romanian disaster protection agency reported that the entire explosive charge of the drone detonated after hitting an apartment on the tenth floor. Consequently, emergency services secured and evacuated approximately 70 people and successfully extinguished the blaze.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence in Bucharest announced that Russia had again targeted civilian infrastructure and sites near the Ukrainian border overnight using drones. One of these drones was confirmed to have infiltrated Romanian airspace before crashing over a high-rise building in Galați. The military responded by launching two F-16 air defense fighter jets from the Fetesti military base, supported by a Romanian Air Force helicopter, describing the situation to be dynamic.
Separate events occurred in Ukraine, where drones attacked the area around the port of Ismail in the southern Odessa Oblast early this morning. In one instance, a drone became entangled in power lines, temporarily disrupting electricity supply to five villages. Ismail is a strategically vital location, hosting the largest Ukrainian port on the Danube and frequently becomes a target for attacks.
Reacting sharply to the incidents, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks, stating that Russia’s war had crossed “another line”. She reaffirmed the EU’s “full solidarity” with Romania and its citizens and announced plans to further strengthen “security and deterrence measures” especially along the eastern border.
On the political front, the EU is currently preparing a 21st sanctions package against Russia to increase economic pressure. Concurrently, NATO reiterated its commitment to expanding its defensive measures against all threats, including drone attacks.
