Romanian defence minister explains why drone wasn't shot down over Galați, urges NATO to speed up Dobrogea air defence

The incident

A Russian Geran-2 drone entered Romanian airspace and crashed into a residential block in the centre of Galați during the night of 28–29 May 2026. The impact was followed by an explosion and a fire in a tenth-floor apartment. Authorities issued a RO-Alert warning for the counties of Brăila, Tulcea and Galați.

Why the drone wasn't shot down

Defence Minister Radu Miruță posted a detailed explanation on Facebook on Friday morning. The drone was detected and tracked by a new radar installed in the Galați area after a similar incident two weeks earlier. Romanian fighter jets were scrambled and had authorisation to fire, but the engagement window was extremely narrow.

In the 4 minutes it was in Romanian airspace, it was not possible to shoot without the projectile causing greater damage in the municipality of Galați or without the projectile ending up outside Romania and being considered an interference in the war in Ukraine.

Gaps in ground-based air defence

Miruță acknowledged a shortage of ground-based anti-aircraft systems, stating that no such capabilities had been ordered since the start of the war in Ukraine. He said that during his five months as minister, army modernisation has been his top priority and that for the first time eight anti-drone systems have been included in the SAFE procurement programme.

Yes, we need more ground-based air defence systems, which we do not have because, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, whoever had this decision did not take it.

Appeal to NATO

On Friday morning Miruță spoke by phone with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He pressed for the rapid implementation of measures Romania has officially requested for the Dobrogea region, to bridge the gap until the newly ordered anti-drone capabilities are delivered. The minister said all NATO allies and the Romanian president were informed immediately after the incident, and that discussions are also underway in Brussels.

I argued once again how important it is that what we have officially requested at allied level be implemented in the Dobrogea area, until the anti-drone capabilities recently ordered by the Ministry of Defence are delivered.

Next steps

President Nicușor Dan announced he will convene the Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) on Friday. Miruță said a commission at the Ministry of Defence is reviewing technical procedures and that additional measures to strengthen security on the Eastern Flank will be announced in the coming hours.