An apartment building in Galati, Romania, was struck by a Russian drone early Friday morning during an attack on Ukrainian infrastructure near the border, marking the first known instance of damage and injuries caused by a Russian drone in a major urban area within NATO territory.

Residents described shock and panic as the incident unfolded. Mariana Arhip, 69, said: “We are not defended, we are not protected. How is this possible? Don’t we have air defenses?” Another resident, who provided only her first name as Mariana, added she heard an explosion but did not recognize it as a drone, fleeing after drivers shouted, “get out, it’s burning up.”

Romanian President Nicusor Dan confirmed the drone was a Russian Geran-2 model that traveled through Ukraine before entering Romanian territory. He stated: “We know the trajectory, we know where it went through Ukraine, we know where it entered Romania—part of a swarm of 43 Russian drones, of which only one reached Romanian territory.”

The incident has intensified concerns about Russia’s potential to escalate conflict beyond Ukraine toward NATO allies. Romania immediately scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter to respond but did not engage the drone. The country also requested accelerated transfer of anti-drone capabilities to its military, citing the event as a serious violation of international law.

A NATO official emphasized solidarity with Romania and affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend all Allied territory from threats including drones. Meanwhile, Russia’s deputy chair of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, warned EU citizens about unilateral involvement in conflict with Moscow, though this statement was not part of the verified incident details.