Фото: @ministeruldeinterne
During the night of May 29, Russian forces again attacked civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine near the Romanian border. While the attack was being repelled, one of the drones entered Romanian airspace and crashed into a residential building in the city of Galați. This was reported by Romania’s Ministry of National Defence.
According to the ministry, the drone was tracked by Romanian radar systems to the southern part of the municipality of Galați. The aircraft then crashed onto the roof of a multi-storey residential building, causing a fire.
Units of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the police responded to the scene.
In response to the presence of drones near Romanian airspace, the Romanian Air Force scrambled two F-16 fighter jets. The aircraft took off from the Fetești Air Base at 01:19 and operated with support from an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter. According to the statement, the pilots were authorised to engage targets throughout the alert period.
The National Military Command Centre also initiated measures to warn the public. Emergency notifications were sent through the RO-Alert system to residents of Tulcea, Galați and Brăila counties.
Several hours later, the Red Intervention Plan (Planul Roșu de intervenție) was lifted. Two people with minor abrasions received medical assistance at the scene. Authorities identified a location for the temporary accommodation of residents of the building, but no one had been relocated there at the time of reporting. To ensure public safety, personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of National Defence and specialised teams from the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) continue to work at the site and conduct inspections, according to the ministry’s press service.
This is not the first time that Russian drones used in attacks on Ukraine have entered Romanian airspace. In previous years, drone debris has repeatedly been found on Romanian territory after falling during attacks on Ukrainian targets in border areas.