Bucharest: A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine and then went astray slammed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people in the NATO member country, Romanian authorities said, adding to concerns that the war could spread across the alliance's borders.
The Russian drone was tracked by radar in Romanian airspace and crashed onto the roof of the building in the city of Galati, Romania's Defence Ministry said in a statement. The impact was followed by a fire. The two people suffered minor injuries, and several others were evacuated.
The Romanian military scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter that were authorised to engage targets, and alert messages were sent to residents of the affected areas. But the aircraft didn't engage or shoot at the drone to bring it down.
Romania asked NATO for a faster transfer of anti-drone capabilities to its military, the Foreign Ministry said, calling the drone's flight a serious violation of international law.
The incursion was the latest in a litany of drone incidents - from both Russia and Ukraine - to afflict NATO member states and leave the 32-member trans-Atlantic organisation on edge, drawing strong condemnation from Romania's allies.
Gen. Gheorghe Maxim, a stand-in commander for the Romanian armed forces' joint staff, told a news conference on Friday that the strike in Galati wasn't "an attack from Russia against Romania," but "Romanians should understand that Russia is a threat to the security of the countries in the area."
Galati is on the Danube River, near the borders of Ukraine and Moldova.
Ukrainian forces shot down 217 drones overnight on Friday, according to the country's air force. In total, Russia attacked with 232 drones and one ballistic missile. Strikes were recorded in 14 areas, the air force said.
In response to the latest incursion, Romanian President Nicusor Dan convened the NATO member's top defence body for a meeting.