Romania to expel Russian consul after residential drone strike

Romania expels Russian consul after drone strikes residential building in Galati

Romanian President Nicusor Dan announced the expulsion of the Russian consul in the southeastern city of Constanta and the closure of the Russian Consulate General there, following a drone strike that hit an apartment complex in the border town of Galati. The decision came after a meeting of the country's Supreme Council of National Defense, which discussed the consequences of the incident.

"In this situation, the Russian consul general in Constanta has been declared persona non grata, and the Russian Consulate General in Constanta will be closed," the president said, according to remarks broadcast on the presidential administration's website. The Romanian Foreign Ministry also summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipayev to inform him of the diplomatic measures, with top Romanian diplomat Oana Toiu calling the incident "unprecedentedly serious."

The drone, which Romanian officials said was intended for Ukraine, crashed onto the roof of an apartment building in Galati on May 29. The Romanian Defense Ministry reported the crash and Bucharest blamed Russia for the incident.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the incident reflects sharply divergent narratives. Al Jazeera covered the expulsion and the drone strike as a Russian attack, emphasizing the Romanian president's announcement. In contrast, multiple reports from the Russian state news agency TASS present Moscow's perspective, framing Romania's actions as part of a Western campaign against Russia.

According to TASS, Russian officials and state media have disputed Romania's account, suggesting the drone may have been Ukrainian. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in response to a TASS reporter's question in Astana that the incident "was most likely caused by a Ukrainian drone," noting previous instances of Ukrainian drones crashing in European countries.

The Russian embassy in Bucharest told Izvestia that Romania "exploited the incident with a falling drone in Galati to implement NATO and the EU's foreign policy course toward confrontation with Russia," calling it a pretext for a pre-arranged decision. Russian Ambassador to Bucharest Vladimir Lipayev called the incident a "provocation by the Kiev regime," which he said was trying to drag NATO into a war with Russia.

Moscow has also taken its case to the United Nations. Romania convened a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the drone crash, according to TASS. At that meeting, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya accused Romania of making "unsubstantiated and biased accusations against Russia" and said the meeting's purpose was to "fulfill the Western countries' request to create another anti-Russian information wave at any cost." He also pointed to what he called inconsistencies in Romanian officials' statements, noting that President Dan initially spoke of a deliberate Russian strike but later said a Russian drone changed trajectory due to Ukrainian air defense measures.

In a separate development, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said she had summoned the Russian ambassador to Vienna to lodge a protest against Moscow's "escalation," as reported by TASS. Kronen Zeitung reported the move was prompted by the Romania drone incident.

Key Claims

• Romanian President Nicusor Dan announced the expulsion of the Russian consul in Constanta and the closure of the Russian Consulate General after a drone incident in Galati, as reported by Al Jazeera and TASS.
• A drone intended for Ukraine crashed into an apartment complex in Galati, according to Al Jazeera.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin said the incident was most likely caused by a Ukrainian drone, a claim reported by TASS and contested by Romanian officials.
• Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya called for an objective investigation involving Russia and demanded the transfer of the drone's wreckage for expert assessment, as reported by TASS.
• Romania convened a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the drone incident, according to TASS.
• Romania's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to notify him of diplomatic measures, as reported by TASS.

Perspectives

Romanian Government: Romania holds Russia responsible for the drone strike and responded by expelling the Russian consul, closing the consulate, and summoning the Russian ambassador. The government has also briefed EU partners, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas assuring Romania that new sanctions against Russia would be accelerated.

Russian Government: Moscow denies responsibility, with President Putin suggesting the drone was Ukrainian. Russian officials accuse the West of exploiting the incident to create an anti-Russian wave and call for an objective investigation, demanding the drone's wreckage be handed over to Russia. They also point to alleged inconsistencies in Romanian statements and suggest the incident may have been a Ukrainian provocation.

Austrian Government: Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger summoned the Russian ambassador to lodge a protest against Russia's "escalation," as reported by TASS, aligning with the view that Russia is to blame for the incident.