Putin: Too Early to Say if Drone in Romania is Russian

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday it is too early to determine if a drone that crashed in Romania overnight is Russian, suggesting it could instead be Ukrainian. The drone crashed into an apartment complex in the southern Romanian city of Galati, located less than ten kilometers from Romania's borders with both Ukraine and Moldova.

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Who in Romania says this is a Russian drone?

The drone hit the building's roof, causing a fire. Two people sustained minor injuries in the incident. Putin, speaking at a summit in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, stated he had only just heard about the event due to a full day of discussions. "Who in Romania says this is a Russian drone?" he questioned at a press conference. "No one can say what the origin of one drone or another is before an investigation is conducted."

This incident has drawn reactions from Western leaders, as well as the NATO defense alliance and the EU, of which Romania is a member. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had previously emphasized that the alliance is prepared to defend all parts of its member territories and will continue to strengthen its defenses against external threats. Later, Martin O'Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters (Shape), stated that the drone was of Russian origin, according to Reuters.

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No one can say what the origin of one drone or another is before an investigation is conducted.

Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that the drone ended up in Romania in connection with a Russian attack on Ukraine's Odesa region. Meanwhile, Putin asserted that Ukrainian drones have previously been sighted in Finland, Poland, and the Baltic states. "The initial reaction was exactly the same as it is now in Romania: the Russians are coming. After a short time, it turned out that it had nothing to do with Russian drones," the president said. The war in Ukraine has been ongoing since February 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of its neighbor.

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The initial reaction was exactly the same as it is now in Romania: the Russians are coming. After a short time, it turned out that it had nothing to do with Russian drones.