Romanian minister warns drone attacks could repeat

Romania's Defense Minister, Radu Miruță, issued a stark warning that further Russian drone attacks, similar to the incident in Galați where a drone struck a residential building, cannot be ruled out. He stated that such events could recur until Romania receives the new anti-drone defense systems it has requested. Miruță also sidestepped confirming explanations provided by Nicușor Dan regarding how the Russian drone might have altered its course before hitting its target.

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I have not guaranteed that it will not happen again. It can happen again now.

Miruță explained that the Romanian Army is employing all available resources to protect the country's airspace. However, he acknowledged that current capabilities are insufficient to counter the existing threats effectively. "The Army uses all available resources in the most optimal way possible, but these anti-drone defense resources are far fewer than we would need," he stated during an interview with Digi24. "I have not guaranteed that it will not happen again. It can happen again now. I have guaranteed that these new systems will be introduced into the defense system in the Danube Delta area. The re-equipping of the Romanian Army does not happen overnight."

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The Army uses all available resources in the most optimal way possible, but these anti-drone defense resources are far fewer than we would need.

Regarding the drone's trajectory, the interim Defense Minister refrained from endorsing Nicușor Dan's explanation. Miruță indicated that the information he received focused on the drone's origin and technical specifications, not the precise circumstances that led to its entry into Romanian airspace. "Whether it was intentionally directed, whether it lost communication, is something we cannot know," the minister said. He suggested that a technical and ballistic expertise could provide more details about the incident's circumstances.

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Whether it was intentionally directed, whether it lost communication, is something we cannot know.

Miruță suggested that the debate over the drone's exact change of direction risks diverting attention from the core issue: the presence of an explosive-laden Russian drone on Romanian territory. "It is a diversion in the public space, an attempt to debate a subject that is of much less importance," he asserted. He noted that many previously recovered drones showed signs of bullet damage, but this was not the case with the drone that struck Galați.

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It is a diversion in the public space, an attempt to debate a subject that is of much less importance.