Romania Closes Russian Consulate, Expels Envoy Within 72 Hours After Drone Injures 2 in Galați
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · Jun 1
Romania Closes Russian Consulate, Expels Envoy Within 72 Hours After Drone Injures 2 in Galați
9 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · Jun 1
Bucharest shut Russia’s consulate in Constanța and ordered Consul General Andrei Kosilin out within 72 hours after a Russian drone struck a Galați apartment building and injured two people.
President Nicușor Dan said the drone was damaged during a 43-drone attack on Ukraine’s Reni port, then veered into Romanian airspace, marking the first Russian UAV incident to injure Romanian citizens.
Romanian commanders said they tracked the drone but could not intercept it in the roughly 4 minutes available because firing near civilian areas, toward Ukraine, or from private land faces legal limits.
Dan said Russian drones have crossed into Romania about 20 to 30 times since the war began, while Ukraine reported Russia launched 232 drones and one ballistic missile in the overnight barrage.
The strike sharpens pressure on NATO-border defenses even after Romania’s 2025 law change allowed engagement of threatening drones, with Zelensky praising Bucharest’s response and some Ukrainians criticizing Dan’s framing.
Can Romania's drone deal with Ukraine transform it from a target into a key security provider?
How will NATO counter cheap Russian drones without triggering a direct conflict with Moscow?