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Romania Expels Russian Consul and Shuts Consulate After Overnight Drone Strike
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Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced the closure of Russia’s consulate in Constanța and declared the Russian consul Andrei Kosilin persona non grata after a Russian drone struck a residential building in Galați, injuring two civilians.
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According to Romania Journal on May 29, the decision followed an emergency meeting of Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense, convened after a Russian Geran-2 drone crashed into an apartment building during the night.
Dan said Romania holds the Russian Federation fully responsible for the incident.
“We had a serious incident last night in which two Romanian citizens were injured, and full responsibility lies with Russia,” the president stated.
Shortly after Dan’s announcement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond swiftly to the measures taken by Bucharest.
“Retaliatory measures in connection with the declaration of the Consul General of Russia as persona non grata and the closure of the Consulate General will not be delayed,” Zakharova said, according to Romania Journal.
On 29 May, a Russian drone crashed into a residential apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați during the night, causing a fire on the 10th floor.
Romanian officials said the drone entered the country’s airspace amid a broader Russian overnight attack targeting civilian and infrastructure facilities in Ukraine’s Odesa region near the Romanian border.
The drone’s warhead exploded upon impact, setting part of the building ablaze. Romanian outlet Digi24 reported that a woman suffered first-degree burns, while a 14-year-old experienced a severe stress reaction. Both individuals were taken to hospital for treatment.
Approximately 70 residents either evacuated the building or left voluntarily after the strike.
According to Romania’s Ministry of Defense, two F-16 fighter jets were launched from the Fetești air base at 1:19 a.m. to monitor and intercept the drone, supported by an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter. Romanian pilots were reportedly authorized to engage the target if necessary.
Following the detection of the drone in Romanian airspace, authorities issued air raid alerts through the Ro-Alert emergency warning system for residents in Tulcea, Galați, and Brăila counties. Officials said the drone crashed at around 1:53 a.m.
During the srtike, Romania had deployed F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter, and its pilots were authorized to engage a Russian drone that entered Romanian airspace during Moscow’s attack near the Ukrainian border.
However, defense officials said the military had only a four-minute response window, which was insufficient to detect, identify, and neutralize the target before it struck an apartment building in Galați.
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