Sawt Falasteen - NATO, EU outrage as drone hits Romania apartment block

Romania called the incident -- the first crash into a residential building outside Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 -- a "serious and irresponsible escalation" by Moscow.

Here is what we know about the drone crash:

- What happened? -

The drone smashed into an apartment building in the centre of the city of Galati, close to the border with Ukraine, sparking a fire and sending a 14-year-old boy and 53-year-old woman to hospital with injuries, officials said.

Drone incursions in Romania, which neighbours Ukraine, have been detected dozens of times since the start of the Russian offensive, but the crash marked the first time a residential building has been hit in the country.

"During the night of May 28-29, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania," the Romanian defence ministry said.

"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.

Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drones were detected in Romanian airspace, the defence ministry said.

The incident follows a series of Russian strikes on Ukraine on Saturday in one of the most severe attacks since the start of the war.

- Why wasn't the drone stopped? -

Romanian forces did not have enough time to shoot down the drone, a defence official said, adding there were "no realistic opportunities to engage it safely".

"The time we had available -- four minutes -- was extremely short," General Gheorghe Maxim from the Joint Forces Command told a press conference.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan said the decision not to engage was made "because the conditions necessary to destroy it without significantly endangering the safety of the civilian population were not present".

- How have Romania and its allies responded? -

Romania summoned the Russian ambassador, and Dan convened a national defence council meeting to discuss "the most serious incident to have affected our national territory" since Russia invaded Ukraine.

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

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Russia's "war of aggression" had "crossed yet another line", pledging to increase deterrence on the EU's Eastern border.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul condemned "Russia's reckless behaviour", French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot called it "an irresponsible act", and Britain's Yvette Cooper strongly criticised the "violation" of NATO airspace.

The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, also slammed the "reckless incursion", saying: "We stand with our NATO ally."

Maia Sandu, the president of Moldova, which lies between Romania and Ukraine and has also seen repeated drone incursions and debris falling on its soil, said Russia was a "danger to all".

- What will NATO do next? -

NATO condemned Russia's "recklessness" and vowed "absolute solidarity" with Romania.

"Russia's reckless behaviour is a danger to us all," NATO chief Mark Rutte wrote on social media after a call with the Romanian president.

"I affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory."

NATO member states bordering Ukraine or Russia, including Romania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, are increasingly exposed to incursions into their territory by drones from both warring sides.

Latvia, which borders Russia, appointed a new government on Thursday, two weeks after the collapse of the previous administration due to a row over stray Ukrainian drone incursions, which exposed the weaknesses of the country's air defences.

NATO's top commander, US General Alexus Grynkewich, spoke to Romania's military chief about the incident, the alliance said.

"They also agreed to stay in particularly close contact with one another as an investigation of the incident continues, and potential additional defensive measures are considered," NATO's supreme headquarters said.

Multiple sources at NATO said there was no indication whether Bucharest would call for emergency consultations under the alliance's Article Four.

That move would still be well short of NATO's Article Five mutual defence clause being triggered, which has happened only once in the alliance's 77-year history, after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

Article Four consultations have been called three times during Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine: the first time just after the invasion in 2022, once by Poland after incursions by Russian drones, and once by Estonia after Russian fighter jets violated its airspace.

Z.AlNajjar--SF-PST