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BUCHAREST, April 25 (Reuters) – Romania recovered drone fragments in the southeastern city of Galati after an overnight Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, with \u200can electricity pole and a household annex damaged, its defence ministry \u200csaid in a statement.<\/p>\n
There were no casualties, the ministry said.<\/p>\n
Romania, a member of both NATO and the \u200bEuropean Union, shares a 650-km (400-mile) land border with Ukraine and has seen Russian drones repeatedly breach its airspace as Moscow attacks Ukraine ports on the other side of the Danube river.<\/p>\n
While drone fragments have routinely fallen on Romania, Saturday marked the \u200cfirst time property had been \u2060damaged.<\/p>\n
“The defence ministry firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation and emphasizes that these represent a new challenge to \u2060regional security and stability in the Black Sea area,” the ministry’s statement said.<\/p>\n
“Such incidents demonstrate the Russian Federation’s lack of respect for the norms of international law and \u200bendanger \u200bnot only the safety of Romanian citizens, \u200bbut also the collective security of \u200cNATO.”<\/p>\n
Two Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets – part of a British air-policing mission in Romania – were scrambled to monitor the attack from the air, which is standard procedure. Residents of neighbouring Tulcea county were also warned to take cover.<\/p>\n
Tensions have mounted along Europe’s eastern flank in recent months after suspected Russian drones breached the airspace \u200cof several NATO states.<\/p>\n
Romanian law allows it to \u200bshoot down drones during peacetime if lives \u200bor property are at risk, but \u200bit has not yet done so.<\/p>\n
Defence Minister Radu Miruta on \u200cFriday said a U.S.-made, AI-powered counter-drone \u200bsystem would be integrated \u200binto national air defence systems in a matter of days after final tests.<\/p>\n
The Merops system, developed by Project Eagle – a U.S.-based company backed by \u200bformer Google CEO Eric Schmidt – \u200cwould be able to counter drone threats along the Danube river, \u200bMiruta said.<\/p>\n
Poland is already using the system on NATO’s eastern flank.<\/p>\n
(Reporting \u200bby Luiza Ilie; Editing by Tom Hogue)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n