The Galați incident

Romanian authorities confirmed that a Russian Geran-2 drone, launched from Russia and part of a swarm of 43, crossed Ukrainian airspace before entering Romania and crashing into a 10-storey apartment block in Galați during the night of 28–29 May 2026. The impact triggered an explosion and fire in a tenth-floor apartment, injuring two Romanian civilians. RO-Alert warnings were issued for the counties of Brăila, Tulcea, and Galați.

“We had a serious incident last night in which two Romanian citizens were injured, and the entire responsibility for this incident lies with Russia, a country that has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for more than four years.”

Romania's diplomatic retaliation

At a press conference following an emergency session of the Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) at Cotroceni Palace on Friday, President Nicușor Dan announced that Consul General Andrey Kosilin had been declared persona non grata and that the Russian Consulate General in Constanța would be closed. Kosilin, a career diplomat who joined Russia's foreign service in 1991 and held the rank of first-class counsellor, had served as consul general since January 2023. Earlier in May he had presided over a public Victory Day ceremony at the Soviet military cemetery in Constanța, attended by members of the Night Wolves motorcycle club.

“I want to note the irresponsibility of some Romanian political leaders and opinion leaders who are trying to excuse Russia for this incident, and now Romanian citizens can see who is pro-Western and who is faking pro-Westernism.”

Moscow's response

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reacted swiftly, stating that Russia's retaliatory measures "will not be slow in coming." She dismissed the drone incident as noise manufactured by the West to divert attention from what she called "the killing of children in Starobilsk by Zelensky."

“Russia's measures regarding the declaration of the Russian consul general in Romania as persona non grata and the closure of the consulate general in Constanța will not be slow in coming.”

Euro-Atlantic solidarity

President Dan thanked Romania's partners in the European Union and NATO for their solidarity, expressed both bilaterally and through multilateral formats. He had earlier spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, describing the event as the most serious security incident on Romanian territory since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. The two leaders agreed to continue close coordination within NATO to strengthen defence on the Eastern Flank.

“This proves that there is Euro-Atlantic solidarity and unity.”

Defence cooperation and drone programmes

The president also outlined ongoing defence initiatives, including a component within the SAFE framework dedicated to responding to such incidents, a joint drone production partnership with Ukraine, and a trilateral mechanism with the United States and the United Kingdom to accelerate drone manufacturing and testing. Dan noted that some equipment had already arrived in Romania under existing agreements, with further deliveries expected.

Political context

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was absent from the CSAT meeting as he was on an official visit to Moldova, where he was scheduled to meet President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu. Interim ministers attending the session included those for Defence (Radu Miruță), Interior (Cătălin Predoiu), Foreign Affairs (Oana Țoiu), Economy (Ambrozie-Irineu Darău), and Finance (Alexandru Nazare).