Von der Leyen: Russia Crossed ‘Another Line’ in Romania Strike
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of crossing a red line after a drone strike injured civilians in Romania, prompting the EU to pledge stronger eastern defenses.
The drone struck the roof of an apartment block in the eastern Romanian city of Galați in the early hours of May 29, sparking a fire and forcing the evacuation of residents, according to Brussels Signal. The city lies near Romania’s border with Ukraine.
Two people sustained minor injuries in the attack, Romania’s defence ministry confirmed. The drone entered Romanian airspace south of Galați and was tracked by radar before crashing into the building, where its explosive payload detonated on impact.
Von der Leyen condemned the strike in a social media post, stating that Russia’s aggression had hit a densely populated area in Romania and injured civilians on EU territory. She pledged full solidarity with Romania and its people.
The Commission President said the EU would continue strengthening security and deterrence along its eastern border while escalating pressure on Moscow. Brussels is currently preparing a 21st package of sanctions against Russia, she noted.
European Council President António Costa also denounced the incident as reckless and irresponsible. He condemned what he called a violation of Romania’s national airspace and international law in the strongest possible terms, and vowed the bloc would remain united in ramping up pressure on Russia and bolstering defence capabilities, especially along the eastern frontier.
Romania’s defence ministry said the drone attack coincided with a wave of Russian drone strikes targeting civilian and infrastructure sites in Ukraine near the river border with Romania.
Bucharest summoned the Russian ambassador over the incident, calling it a serious and irresponsible escalation. Romanian President Nicușor Dan described the strike as the gravest incident on Romanian territory since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Romania strike comes just days after a Ukrainian drone reportedly strayed into Estonian airspace by accident, and after Russian drones prompted airspace alerts in Latvia and Lithuania.
On May 26, von der Leyen met with the presidents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. She warned that the airspace violations affecting the Baltic states were not isolated events but part of a deliberate Russian strategy to destabilize democratic societies—one that could spread throughout Europe.
With information from Brussels Signal
