BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian officials reported Friday that a Russian drone involved in nighttime strikes against Ukraine went off course and slammed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, leaving two people hurt.
According to a statement from Romania’s Defense Ministry, radar systems monitored the drone as it entered Romanian territory before it struck the rooftop of a structure in Galati. The collision sparked a blaze, caused minor injuries to two individuals, and forced the evacuation of multiple residents.
Emergency responders and law enforcement arrived at the location. Galati sits along the Danube River, positioned east of both Moldova and Ukraine’s borders.
Romanian defense forces deployed two F-16 fighter aircraft and a helicopter with authorization to engage potential threats, while emergency alerts were issued to people living in the impacted regions.
Moscow has been deploying long-range ballistic weapons and drones to target Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure and strike urban areas, while Ukraine prepares for additional intense bombardments.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Thursday that he was urging the United States to supply additional Patriot air defense systems capable of defending against Russian strikes.
He cautioned that shipments to Ukraine are dangerously inadequate as the Iran war redirects and reduces U.S. inventories. “I believe (the U.S.) must act quicker. We are being very persistent,” Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned the U.N. Security Council that the growing escalation and intensification of attacks threatens to spiral beyond control, carrying “unknown and unintended consequences.” He noted that civilian deaths in the first four months of this year exceeded those in the corresponding timeframe over the previous three years.
Guterres urged increased diplomatic efforts, immediate de-escalation and “a full and unconditional ceasefire.”
