Romania escalated its diplomatic response to repeated Russian airspace violations on Monday, 1 June 2026, by convening an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council in New York. The meeting, which began at 3:00 p.m. local time (10:00 p.m. in Romania), marked the first time the Council has met at the express request of Bucharest on a matter directly affecting the country.

The Galați incident

In the night of Thursday to Friday, a Russian Geran-2 kamikaze drone carrying a 30-kilogram High-Explosive warhead crashed into a residential block in the eastern city of Galați. The impact triggered an explosion and fire in a tenth-floor apartment, injuring two residents and causing extensive material damage. Approximately 70 people were evacuated or self-evacuated from the building. President Nicușor Dan published images of the debris on Sunday, stating the drone was "without doubt" of Russian origin, a conclusion later confirmed by the Ministry of Defence.

“Romania will not ignore or minimise any incident that endangers the lives of its citizens.”

A historic diplomatic move

Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu led the Romanian delegation, framing the incident as part of a pattern of reckless behaviour by the Russian Federation. She told the Council that a Russian drone "hit and exploded above the roof of a residential block in Galați, Romania," noting it was the first time Romanian citizens had been wounded in such an attack. The session was convened under Articles 34 and 35 of the UN Charter, which allow the Council to investigate any situation that might lead to international friction.

“For the first time, the UN Security Council is meeting at the express request of Romania on a topic that directly involves it. I will present the flagrant violations of international law and the risks generated by these repeated actions of the Russian Federation.”

A pattern of violations

Romania's ambassador to the UN, Cornel Feruță, stressed that the intrusion and explosion in a densely populated area constituted serious breaches of the UN Charter and international law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the incident as a dangerous and unprecedented violation, occurring after a series of irresponsible incursions into the airspace of Romania and other EU and NATO states in the region. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, fragments of drones have been identified on Romanian territory in 47 situations, 12 of them this year alone.

Broader diplomatic agenda

Beyond the Security Council session, Țoiu's agenda in New York included meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, and US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. Romania's stated goal is to increase diplomatic pressure on Russia to respect international law and to reinforce regional security.

“Together with our UN partners, Romania continues to press for an immediate ceasefire and a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

Military and technical response

The Romanian Air Force scrambled two F-16 jets from the Fetești base during the alert, supported by an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter. Pilots were authorised to engage targets throughout the alert. A RO-Alert message was issued for the counties of Brăila, Tulcea, and Galați. The technical report and all conclusions are being forwarded to NATO and EU specialised structures. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski thanked President Dan for his clarity, stating that "facts are the best cure for Putin's lies."