Romanian president confirms Russian drone crashed into residential building

A drone that crashed into a Romanian residential building on Thursday evening was unequivocally of Russian origin, according to Romania's president. Nicușor Dan stated on social media that experts completed a technical report confirming the drone was a Russian-made Geran-2.

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The drone that crashed Thursday evening in Galați is a Geran-2 of Russian origin. This is the unequivocal conclusion of the technical report completed by experts from the Romanian state.

"The security of Romanian citizens and the integrity of the national territory are fundamental commitments for the Romanian state and will be defended with full determination," Dan wrote. The incident injured a 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman, who were hospitalized. This is the first reported instance of a drone hitting a residential property outside of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.

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The security of Romanian citizens and the integrity of the national territory are fundamental commitments for the Romanian state and will be defended with full determination.

Romania intends to share the investigation's results with its NATO and EU allies. "Romania will not ignore or downplay any incident that endangers the lives of its citizens, national security, or the sovereignty of the Romanian state," Dan added. The Geran-2 drone can carry a 30-50 kg explosive payload, capable of causing significant damage and casualties in apartment buildings.

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Romania will not ignore or downplay any incident that endangers the lives of its citizens, national security, or the sovereignty of the Romanian state.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his Romanian counterpart for the "clarity" of the statement, asserting that "facts are the best cure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's lies." He expressed Ukraine's readiness to cooperate closely with Romania and other European nations. However, Russia's embassy in Romania accused Ukraine of staging a provocation with the incident, with President Putin previously stating that the drone's origin could not be definitively determined without a thorough investigation.

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Facts are the best cure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's lies, and they prove that Russia's manipulations will not succeed.