Ukraine war latest: NATO reacts after Russian drone hits Romania

Romania said a drone entered its airspace overnight and crashed into a residential apartment building in Galați, injuring two people and causing a fire, in one of the most serious spillover incidents from Russia's war in Ukraine since 2022.

The Romanian defense ministry said air-policing aircraft were scrambled after the incident, which it said happened during overnight drone attacks against targets in Ukraine near Romania's river border. Official statements said the drone hit a residential building and that emergency crews responded to the fire.

AP reported that the drone was Russian and that two people were injured. The report also said Romania has asked NATO allies for faster anti-drone capabilities following the incident.

NATO response

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance stands ready to defend Romania and every inch of allied territory, according to reporting from Euronews. Romania has described the incident as the most serious event on its territory since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The episode has sharpened concern in NATO capitals about the risk of the war spilling over onto allied territory as Russia continues large-scale drone attacks on Ukraine near the border.

Officials have not said the drone strike on the building was deliberate, and the available reporting does not establish whether the crash was intentional or part of the wider attack on Ukraine. Questions also remain over the full extent of the damage and whether any new NATO or Romanian deployments will follow.