A Russian attack drone hit an apartment building in eastern Romania early on Friday, according to the authorities, drawing a swift and sharp response from NATO and the European Union.
While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the episode comes amid heightened fears that Russia might seek to expand the war there to target a member of the security alliance.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry said the drone had been involved in an overnight assault on Ukraine but had crashed into an apartment building in Galati, Romania, sparking a fire. Two people were injured and several others required medical attention.
The ministry said it had informed NATO of the “serious violation of international law and of its airspace” and had asked the alliance to speed up the transfer of anti-drone capabilities.
“This incident represents a serious and irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation,” the ministry said in a statement, noting it would “take the necessary diplomatic response measures.”
NATO condemned “Russia’s recklessness” and confirmed that it was in touch with the Romanian authorities.
As a member of the defense alliance, Romania is covered by NATO’s commitment to collective security, which obliges all members to come to the defense of any state that requests assistance in the event of an attack.
Romania’s president, Nicusor Dan, said that he had convened the Supreme Council of National Defense and would “order proportionate measures in relation to the Russian Federation.”
“The unprecedented nature of the event demands a firm, coordinated, and appropriate response — at the national, allied, and international levels,” he wrote on social media, adding, “Romania is a NATO member state and will not accept, in any way, the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine to be transferred onto its citizens.”
Friday’s incident was not the first time that the war in Ukraine touched Romania or other NATO countries. Debris from suspected Russian drones has been found in Romania before, and other countries have reported airspace violations.
After Russian drones flew into Polish airspace in September, NATO’s top leaders announced new efforts to step up air defenses in the alliance’s eastern flank.
European officials have long linked their support for Ukraine with warnings about the risk to the rest of the continent. On Friday, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, warned that “Russia’s war of aggression has crossed yet another line.”
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