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Romania says a drone hit a residential building during a Russian attack on Ukraine. NATO condemns the incident and promises protection for alliance territory, while Moscow denies responsibility...
Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was not clear whether the drone that crashed in Romania was manufactured or operated by Russia, suggesting it could have been a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle. He said the drone's remains should be handed over to Russia for an independent investigation.
Earlier, Romanian authorities announced that a drone hit a residential building in the southeast of the country, injuring two people during a Russian airstrike on targets in neighboring Ukraine.
In response to the incident, Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced the expulsion of the Russian consul in Constanta and the closure of the Russian consulate in the city. He also announced that Romania had reached an agreement with NATO allies for the temporary deployment of additional air defense equipment on its territory until the national systems are modernized.
Moscow reacted immediately. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that countermeasures to the Romanian decision “will not be delayed,” while rejecting accusations of Russian involvement in the incident. According to her, no evidence has been presented that Russian drones have flown over the territory of European Union countries.
NATO condemned what it called Russia's irresponsible behavior and reiterated that it would defend "every inch of alliance territory." Romanian authorities said the drone was part of a group of 43 drones aimed at targets in Ukraine.
In a harsh reaction, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, accused European Union countries of having entered a collision course with Russia and warned European citizens to be "vigilant."
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence services have information that Russia is preparing a new large-scale attack against Ukraine. He called for additional sanctions against Moscow and the acceleration of the supply of air and missile defense systems.
Romanian authorities have urged citizens to take emergency alerts seriously after some residents ignored warnings sent minutes before the drone strike. Officials stressed that these notifications are part of security measures and should not be ignored.
According to analysis published by the BBC, the drone may have been launched from Crimea. Romanian authorities said that radar had tracked the aircraft and that two F-16 jets had been scrambled for monitoring, but the very low altitude and proximity to residential areas made it difficult to neutralize it.
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