F-16 jets scrambled after Russian drone strike hits apartment block in Romania

A drone believed to be Russian crashed into a residential tower in the city of Galati, Romania, during a fresh wave of strikes close to the border with Ukraine, injuring two people and prompting the evacuation of dozens from their homes

A Russian drone has smashed into a Romanian apartment building overnight, intensiying concerns within Nato that Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine is increasingly spreading beyond the alliance’s eastern borders.

The drone crashed into the rooftop of a residential tower in the city of Galati during a fresh barrage of Russian attacks near Romania’s Ukrainian border, wounding two people and forcing dozens to flee their homes, reports the Mirror.

Romanian officials confirmed the aircraft breached the country’s airspace before slamming into the apartment block shortly after 1am local time on Friday, igniting a blaze and triggering a massive emergency response.

A woman suffered first-degree burns while a 14 year old boy required treatment after experiencing a panic attack during the impact and evacuation. Both were later rushed to hospital for additional care.

The incident immediately triggered a military reaction from Bucharest, with Nato-member Romania launching fighter jets and deploying air assets after radar systems monitored the drone’s trajectory into its territory.

Romania’s Ministry of Defence stated the latest incident happened during a renewed Russian offensive on targets in neighbouring Ukraine close to the Danube river corridor.

The ministry stated: “During the night of May 28 to 29, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, in the vicinity of the river border with Romania.

“One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, being tracked by radar to the southern area of the city of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of a block of flats, the impact being followed by a fire.

“Two F-16 aircraft in the Air Police combat service took off at 1.19am. from Air Base 86 in Feteti, supported by an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter of the Romanian Air Force.

“Pilots had authorisation to engage targets throughout the alert.”

The deployment highlights how gravely Nato member nations are now treating airborne breaches near the alliance’s eastern frontier, especially as Russia persists with widespread drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure close to bordering countries.

Galati sits in eastern Romania near both Ukraine and Moldova, adjacent to one of the conflict’s most fiercely disputed logistical passages, reports GB News.

The region lies close to the Danube river routes which have become essential for Ukrainian grain shipments and military supply chains following repeated Russian strikes on Black Sea infrastructure.

Romania, which shares a border of more than 380 miles with Ukraine, has consistently encountered security threats relating to falling wreckage, suspected drone infiltrations and airspace breaches since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Debris from Russian drones has been discovered on Romanian territory before following strikes on Ukrainian ports across the Danube. Nevertheless, this recent incident marks one of the most severe reported cases involving a direct hit on a residential structure within Romania itself.

The alliance has substantially strengthened air policing operations throughout Eastern Europe since the invasion commenced, positioning extra fighter aircraft, monitoring systems and rapid response units to member nations neighbouring Ukraine and Russia.

Romanian emergency crews arrived at the scene within minutes after locals received Ro-Alert emergency notifications during the early hours of Thursday morning.

Approximately 70 residents were evacuated from the structure as firefighters battled the flames triggered by the impact. Police constables, paramedic teams and units from Romania’s SMURD emergency response service cordoned off the vicinity while bomb disposal experts and forensic specialists examined the debris.

Personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Institute of Forensic Science were also summoned to determine whether any unexploded ordnance remained inside the building.

According to local publication Viata Libera, experts determined the drone’s complete explosive warhead detonated upon impact, alleviating concerns of a secondary blast. Galati police confirmed the incident in a statement to Romanian press. The statement read: “A short time ago, in the municipality of Galati, a drone crashed into a block of flats, the impact being followed by an explosion and the outbreak of a fire in an apartment located on the 10th floor.

“Forces and police are intervening on the scene to limit the effects of the incident and secure the area, supported by other MIA forces and specialised SRI teams. Two people who were in the burnt apartment self-evacuated.”