Romanian authorities have confirmed that a drone that struck a residential building in Galați on May 29 was a Russian-made Geran-2 unmanned aerial vehicle. President Nicușor Dan announced the findings on social media and in an interview with the BBC.
Dan stated, “We are confident that this was a Russian Geran-2 drone. We can assert this because four to five weeks ago, we had a similar incident with a drone that did not explode. We compared the remnants of the drone that exploded yesterday with those from the one that fell a month ago, and they are completely identical. Therefore, we can confidently say that this is a Russian Geran-2 drone.”
The president noted that Cyrillic inscriptions identifying the drone as a Geran-2 were found among the debris. Additionally, the electronic components, navigation systems, control modules, engines, and structural elements showed a high degree of similarity to previously recovered drones of this type in Romania.
The drone incident occurred during a Russian airstrike on Ukraine, where a group of 43 drones targeted the port of Reni in the Odesa region. According to Dan, one of the drones, after being hit by Ukrainian forces, altered its flight path and entered Romanian airspace.
“The fact that such a device crashed into a residential building in Romania, causing injuries and property damage, is an extremely serious incident, and Russia bears sole responsibility for it,” Dan stated.
He added that the investigation’s findings would be shared with Romania’s allies and relevant NATO and European Union bodies.
Details on the Galați Drone Incident
The drone crashed into a ten-story building in Galați during the night of May 29, igniting a fire and injuring two individuals. The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed the drone’s Russian origin, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled the incident as a “serious and irresponsible escalation” by Russia. President Dan suggested that the drone was likely shot down by Ukrainian air defense.
In response to the incident, Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador for a discussion, and subsequently declared the Russian consul in Constanța persona non grata.
NATO also reacted, with Secretary-General Mark Rutte maintaining communication with Romanian authorities, condemning Russia’s actions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked that the Russian war against Ukraine had “crossed another boundary,” expressing full solidarity with Romania and its citizens.
Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana Cîțu indicated that the country is considering initiating consultations with NATO allies under Article 4 following the drone incident. President Dan did not rule out the expulsion of the Russian ambassador from Romania should similar incidents occur in the future.
Romanian officials have confirmed that a drone that struck a residential building in Galați was a Russian Geran-2. The incident, linked to a broader Russian airstrike on Ukraine, has prompted significant diplomatic responses from Romania and NATO allies.