Romania says Russian Geran-2 drone struck residential high-rise near Ukraine border
Photo: The Romanian Ministry of Defense has identified the type of Russian drone that struck a high-rise building (Getty Images)
Romania’s Ministry of National Defense has determined that a Russian Geran-2 drone struck a residential high-rise building in Galați, reports Digi24.
Teams of specialists from the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Romanian Intelligence Service are continuing their investigation in the area of the residential building in Galați that was hit by a drone on the morning of May 29.
“According to preliminary data, the entire payload of the Russian-made Geran-2 drone exploded upon impact,” the Ministry of Defense said.
Russian-made Geran drones were developed based on the Iranian Shahed drone model, which Russia has actively used against Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Ministry representatives also reported that two people injured in the explosion were taken to the Galați County Emergency Clinical Hospital.
“The Ministry of National Defense firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation and emphasizes that they pose a new threat to regional security and stability in the Black Sea region. Such incidents demonstrate Russia’s disregard for international law and endanger not only the safety of Romanian citizens but also NATO’s collective security,” the ministry stressed.
Romania explains why it did not shoot down the Russian drone
The military claims it did not have enough time to intercept the Russian drone.
According to Brigadier General Gheorghe Maxim, only four minutes passed between the detection of the target and its crash.
“The first limitation we have is legal: we cannot open fire in a way that affects the airspace of a neighboring country. Also, engaging an aerial target requires a certain amount of time for detection, identification, and interception. The four minutes we had at our disposal were an extremely short period,” he explained.
He also pointed out that a significant part of Romania’s air defense systems was created before the large-scale use of strike drones in modern warfare.
According to Maxim, the army is constantly working to modernize its air defense systems and adapt them to new challenges. The general separately explained why Gepard anti-aircraft systems were not deployed near the site of the incident. According to him, in peacetime, the military cannot place such systems anywhere without the appropriate permits.
Romanian Defense Ministry spokesperson Cristian Popovici also stressed that the military cannot act in a way that creates even greater danger for civilians.
He noted that the army operates within clear legislative restrictions and does not always have the ability to use weapons immediately after detecting an aerial target.
Romania’s Ministry of Defense also said it continues to work on legislative changes to enable a more effective response to similar incidents in the future.
Russian drone hits residential high-rise in Romania
On the night of May 29, Russia once again attacked Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure facilities near the river border with Romania using drones.
One of the drones crossed the border and crashed into the roof of an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați.
As a result of the strike, an apartment on the 10th floor caught fire. Two people were injured and received medical assistance at the scene. Emergency responders managed to quickly extinguish the fire.
NATO condemned the Russian drone strike on the residential building in Romania, which is a member of the Alliance.
