Russian drone hits apartment block in NATO state Romania; EU prepares fresh sanctions against Moscow

Police and forensic investigators examine the location of impact after a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Galati, western Romania. Daniel Mihailescu | Afp | Getty Images A Russian drone collided with an apartment building in Romania, a NATO member state, early on Friday morning. Romanian President Nicușor Dan said in a post on X on Friday morning that he had convened a meeting of his national defense council in response to what he called "the most serious incident to affect the national territory" since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022. The collision occurred in Galați, Dan said, a city near Romania's border with Ukraine. "We will order proportionate measures in relation to the Russian Federation," he said, adding that the strike had resulted in injuries. "The unprecedented nature of the event demands a firm, coordinated, and appropriate response — at the national, allied, and international levels." Dan added that full responsibility lay with Russia and "the irresponsible and indiscriminate manner in which Moscow operates these weapon systems in the immediate vicinity of NATO borders, as well as the systematic disregard for international law." He said that Romania's armed forces acted in accordance with established procedure and were under firm orders to shoot down the drone as soon as conditions allowed. …