Russian drone strikes apartment building in NATO member Romania, injuring two

A Russian drone struck an apartment building in NATO-member Romania early Friday local time, wounding two people, the country’s defense ministry said, in a significant escalation of cross-border incidents linked to the war in Ukraine.

Romania’s Defense Ministry reported that during the night of May 28–29, Russia resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the Danube River border with Romania. One of those drones crossed into Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar to the southern part of the city of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, igniting a fire. Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drone was detected, the ministry added.

Local emergency services said two people suffered abrasions and required medical treatment, and that the fire was quickly extinguished. A nationwide air raid alert had also been issued in neighboring Ukraine overnight in anticipation of Russian strikes, though it was lifted by morning.

Drone incursions into Romanian airspace have been detected dozens of times since Russia launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine in 2022, but Friday’s incident marks the first time a residential building has been hit. Last September, Romania reported that a drone breached its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine, prompting the scramble of two F-16s. That same month, Poland said it shot down Russian drones inside its own airspace.

NATO member states bordering Ukraine or Russia—including Romania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland—are increasingly exposed to drone incursions from both sides of the conflict. These incidents underscore vulnerabilities in air defenses and test the alliance’s response mechanisms. The latest strike in Romania is likely to reignite discussions about bolstering NATO’s eastern flank, particularly as stray drones have already caused political fallout elsewhere.

In Latvia, which shares a border with Russia, a new government was appointed on Thursday after the previous administration collapsed over a dispute about how to handle wayward Ukrainian attack drones that had drifted into its territory. Those drones, believed to have been knocked off course by Russian jamming, caused minimal damage but sparked widespread public concern and exposed gaps in air defense preparedness.

Analysts say the growing frequency of such incidents not only strains diplomatic relations but also forces NATO to consider more proactive measures, such as expanding no-fly zones or deploying additional counter-drone systems near conflict zones. While the alliance has repeatedly condemned Russian attacks near its borders, direct strikes on member states’ territory risk triggering Article 5—the collective defense clause—though officials have so far stopped short of invoking it.