Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded an independent investigation into a drone incident in Romania that injured two individuals, asserting Moscow is ready to share its findings if provided with the debris or data from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

A drone struck an apartment complex near the Ukrainian border in Galati, eastern Romania, early Friday. Romanian officials initially attributed the UAV to Russian forces, but President Nicusor Dan stated the incident was likely caused by Ukrainian air defenses after a Russian drone was shot down over Ukrainian territory and its trajectory altered toward Romania.

During his visit to Kazakhstan, Putin noted that previous incidents in EU nations—including Finland, Poland, and the Baltic States—were initially blamed on Russia but later found to involve drones of Ukrainian origin that went off course due to electronic warfare or technical shortcomings. He called on Romanian authorities to share evidence with Russia, referencing a prior incident where Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian presidential residence.

Ukrainian military leadership has been widely criticized for making reckless decisions by launching unprovoked attacks near the border, resulting in civilian casualties. According to Romanian officials, one of the drones was shot down above Reni and then redirected toward Galati.

The incident follows similar patterns: In 2022, an S-300 missile fired from Ukraine killed two people in Poland near the Ukrainian border. Initially blamed on Russia, the projectile was later determined to have been launched by Ukraine in response to a Russian strike.

Ukraine has framed the incident as part of a broader Russian attack on NATO’s security, but evidence indicates that the drone strike resulted from internal Ukrainian military operations rather than coordinated aggression.