Russian Drone Attack

A Russian drone entered Romanian airspace and crashed onto the roof of a block of flats in the southeastern city of Galati, close to the border with Ukraine. The incident occurred during a Russian overnight attack on neighboring Ukraine, causing an explosion and a fire that injured two people. The Romanian Defense Ministry said it scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter to monitor the drone attack, and the pilots were authorized to shoot down any drones. The incident is likely to increase tensions on NATO's eastern flank, as Romania is a member of both NATO and the European Union. The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations announced on Facebook that a drone hit a 10th-floor apartment, starting a fire and lightly injuring two people. The fire was eventually put out, and around 70 people were evacuated. The attack is part of a larger conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia repeatedly attacking the Ukrainian port of Reni on the Danube, near Galati. Russian drone debris has been recovered several times in the border area of Romania, and just a month ago, a Russian drone crashed in Galati, striking the outbuilding of a residential home. No one was injured in that incident.