NATO Supreme Commander Coordinates with Romania After Russian Drone Strikes Apartment Building in Galați

ROMANIA — NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe spoke by phone today with General Gheorghiță VLAD, the Romanian Chief of Defense, after a Russian drone crossed into Romanian airspace overnight and struck an apartment building in the southern area of Galați.

The call addressed the incident and the Romanian response already in progress. The drone incursion occurred amid renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure targets near the river border.

Romanian radars tracked the drone to Galați, where it crashed onto the roof of an apartment block and ignited a fire. Two F-16s from the 86th Air Base in Fetești launched at 1:19 a.m. under NATO Eastern Sentry authorities, supported by an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter.

Pilots had authorization to engage targets for the duration of the alert. Teams from the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Romanian Intelligence Service, and Romanian Police are working at the site. RO-Alert messages were issued for Tulcea, Galați, and Brăila counties.

High-Level NATO Coordination

Hours after the strike, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe initiated a direct phone discussion with General Gheorghiță VLAD. The leaders reviewed the F-16 response and wider NATO-Romania defense cooperation.

They agreed to maintain especially close contact while the investigation continues and while additional protective steps are assessed. The Supreme Allied Commander Europe also expressed concern for those wounded in the incident.

Official Statements

• COL Martin L. O’Donnell, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe spokesperson, May 29: “SACEUR spoke by phone today with General Gheorghiță VLAD, Romanian Chief of Defence, following an overnight Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure near the border between Ukraine and Romania in which an apartment building in Romania was struck by a drone. The two leaders discussed the incident, including the two Romanian F-16 fighter jets scrambled in response under NATO authorities as part of Eastern Sentry. They reviewed these and other measures between NATO and Romania to strengthen our collective defence together. They also agreed to stay in particularly close contact with one another as an investigation of the incident continues, and potential additional defensive measures are considered. SACEUR also expressed his concern for those wounded in the incident.”

• Romanian Ministry of National Defense, Press Information No. 163, May 29: “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. A drone entered Romanian airspace, being tracked by radar to the southern area of the city of Galați, and crashed onto the roof of a block of flats, the impact being followed by a fire. Specialized teams from the IGSU and other structures from the MIA, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Romanian Police are operating on site. MAPN radars detected drones flying near Romanian airspace. Two F-16 aircraft in the Air Police combat service took off at 01.19 from the 86th Air Base in Fetești, supported by an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter of the Romanian Air Force. The aircraft pilots had authorization to engage targets throughout the alert. The National Military Command Center (core) informed the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations about the need to institute measures to alert the population. In this context, RO-Alert messages were sent for Tulcea, Galați and Brăila counties. The situation is dynamic and we will return with information and official data as they become available.”