Romania to strengthen air defense and Eastern Flank protection with NATO after Russian drone incident - Dan

President of Romania Nicuşor Dan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have agreed to continue cooperation within NATO to strengthen the defense of Romania and the NATO Eastern Flank, particularly through air defense systems and anti-unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities.

Dan wrote this following a conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, which took place after the incident in Galati, Romania, on Friday.

"I had a conversation with the NATO Secretary General @NATO @SecGenNATO, following the most serious security incident to occur on Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine," Dan wrote on the social network X on Friday.

Dan reported that he thanked the Secretary General and the allies for their solidarity. According to the President of Romania, he agreed with Rutte "to continue close coordination within NATO to strengthen our defense and the Eastern Flank, in particular through air defense and anti-unmanned aerial vehicle systems."

"Romania is a strong ally and will not accept Russia’s aggression against Ukraine threatening the security of Romanian citizens," he said.

Dan stongly condemned theunacceptable violation of Romania’s sovereignty and said full responsibility lies with the Russian Federation, whose behavior demonstrates complete disregard for international law and the security of citizens of a NATO member state.

As reported with reference to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a drone involved in attacks on infrastructure in Ukraine crashed in Galati, Romania, causing a fire on the roof of an apartment building. Two people received minor injuries, and the building was evacuated. The Ministry of National Defense of Romania scrambled a plane and a helicopter following the appearance of Russian drones on radars.

In Bucharest, the incident was called a "serious and irresponsible escalation" by Russia, and the government announced its intention to take diplomatic measures in response.