Russian drone strikes Romanian apartment building, Romania says
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- A Russian drone struck an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galati, injuring two people and causing a fire, marking the first time a drone has hit a residential building in NATO-member Romania.
- The drone entered Romanian airspace near the Ukraine border and was tracked by radar before crashing on the building's roof; two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled in response.
- Romania and other NATO-bordering countries such as Poland, Latvia, and Estonia have reported multiple drone incursions since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, raising security concerns.
- Latvia recently experienced political fallout due to drone incursions, leading to the collapse of its government over disputes on the effectiveness of air defense responses to stray Ukrainian drones.
- The incidents highlight growing challenges for NATO members bordering the conflict zone in managing drone threats and maintaining airspace security amid the ongoing war.