A Russian drone hit a building in Romania – here’s what you need to know

Romania said it is reaching out to other Nato leaders and the UN Security Council after a Russian drone struck a residential building in the country overnight.

Two people were injured and a fire broke out on the roof of the block of flats after the drone crashed into the building in Galati, a city close to the border with Ukraine, according to Romania’s Ministry of National Defence.

Romania’s President Nicusor Dan called it “the most serious incident to affect the national territory since the start of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression” against Ukraine.

The exact cause of the incident is still unclear, and Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not yet commented. But Dan claimed it was a “direct consequence of Russia’s war of aggression unleashed against Ukraine”, though he stopped short of calling it an attack. 

A “full investigation” to recover fragments has been launched, he said, in order to identify the likely trajectory of the drone, which has been identified as a Geran-2.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, wrote on X that Russia had “crossed yet another line” and a new sanctions package was being prepared.

Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Friday that Russia’s behaviour is “a danger to us all”.

When to shoot down drones

It is not the first time that a Russian drone has struck one of Ukraine’s neighbours. 

Romania’s defence ministry says that drones have breached its airspace 28 times since Russia started targeting Ukrainian ports across the Danube River. 

Russian drones have also crossed into the airspace of Nato members like Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland, causing havoc. In September 2025, 19 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, resulting in Poland scrambling jets and the country invoking Nato’s Article 4 – a mechanism that brings the alliance together to discuss whether a member’s security, territory or political independence has been threatened, and how to respond. 

James Patton Rogers, executive director of the Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told The i Paper that 2026 has been a “record year for reckless Russian drone incursions into Nato member airspace”. 

Russia has dramatically increased its drone strikes on Ukraine and has “little concern for precision or accuracy,” he said. Ukrainian countermeasures have also increased accordingly, some of which have the potential to send drones off course, Patton Rogers added. 

“These drones fly low, have a decreased radar signature, and are designed to evade traditional air defence.”

According to Romania’s defence ministry, the drone that struck the building was tracked by radar systems as soon as it entered Romanian airspace. But Dan said they opted not to shoot it down because of the risk of civilian casualties.

The Romanian MOD, in a press conference, said that there are strict limitations on when they can shoot down drones, including addressing civilian safety and the possibility of crossing into neighbouring airspace.

Cristian Nitoiu, a senior lecturer in Diplomacy and International Affairs at Loughborough University, told The i Paper that this has been a much-debated question.

The incident is likely to reopen that debate, both in Romania and at the Nato level, he said. 

“It will definitely give a boost to the argument that states neighbouring Ukraine should target drones that are on the territory of Ukraine but have a high potential to cross into the territory of Nato countries,” Nitoiu added.

That could have far-reaching consequences for relations with Russia, if adopted by Nato members. “Russia will likely perceive this as an escalation,” Nitoiu said.

What defences does Romania have?

Romania currently exceeds the Nato minimum defence spending requirement, with 2.3 per cent of the country’s GDP going towards the military. It plans to grow that to 3.5 per cent by 2030. 

The country also hosts key Nato infrastructure. In 2024, it began transforming its Mihai Kogalniceanu air base on the Black Sea into the largest Nato base of its kind in Europe, outstripping Germany’s Ramstein air base. 

The country also hosts one of two US Aegis Ashore missile defence systems in Europe, designed to intercept intermediate and mid-range ballistic missiles.

What could happen next?

Romania is a member of Nato, which operates on the principle that an attack on one member can be considered an attack on all.

Romania has asked its allies to “deploy additional anti-drone capabilities on national territory” in accordance with Nato directives, and is formally notifying the UN Security Council, Dan said.

NATO members have several options in times of military emergency. They can request the activation of Article 4, or the more serious Article 5, which is when they believe they have come under armed attack.

Whether Romania will choose to take either of these paths, as Poland did when it invoked Article 4 last year, remains to be seen.

“It is hard to establish what diplomats are exactly doing, but it’s clear that they are trying to frame this not as a major escalation,” Nitoiu said. “Nevertheless, it is very likely that at least for the Romanian public this brings the war much closer to home.”

Article 5 has only ever been activated once, by the US after the 9/11 attacks. The request itself can be rejected, and countries wishing to demonstrate that their military capabilities can stand alone have an incentive not to trigger it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war, now in its fourth year, shows no sign of letting up. This is unlikely to be the last time that countries bordering Ukraine have to deal with the repercussions on their own soil.