Romania expels Russias consul general and shuts consulate after drone strike injures civilians
Romania expels Russia’s consul general in Constanța and shuts down its consulate after a Russian drone struck a residential building in Galați, injuring two civilians. President Nicușor Dan announced the decision following an emergency meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) on Friday, calling the incident “the most serious to affect national territory since the start of the war in Ukraine.”
The drone, part of a group of 43 launched from the east, veered off course after being hit over the Ukrainian city of Reni, according to Dan. It crossed into Romanian airspace at 20–30 km north of the Danube before crashing into a 10th-floor apartment in Galați’s city centre at approximately 03:00 local time. The explosion sparked a fire, lightly injuring a woman and her child, who were later visited by Dan in hospital. The National Security Council (CNSU) approved immediate financial aid for affected families.
Russia’s ambassador to Bucharest was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where he was informed that the consul general in Constanța has 72 hours to leave the country. Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu described the attack as “an unprecedented act of gravity.” International leaders, including Latvia’s president, condemned the strike and called for collective action against Moscow.
Dan also revealed that Romania and Ukraine will accelerate joint drone production in response to the incident, following a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The CSAT meeting concluded with undisclosed additional security measures, which Dan will detail in a statement at 14:30 local time. Local residents in Galați protested the government’s response, shouting “Resignation!” as Dan toured the damaged building.
Romania expels Russias consul general and shuts consulate after drone strike injures civilians
- digi24
- adevarul
