Russian Drone Strikes Residential Building in Galați, Romania: Two Injured, 70 Evacuated in Most Serious Cross-Border Incident Yet

The Incident

In the early hours of Friday, 29 May 2026, a drone crashed into a 10-story residential building on Strada Brăilei in the Mazepa district of Galați, Romania. The impact, which occurred around 2:00 a.m. local time, was followed by a powerful explosion and a fire that engulfed an apartment on the 10th floor. The building, a BR-type block located near the Danube River embankment and approximately 18 km from the Ukrainian port of Reni, suffered damage to the roof, the elevator shaft, and one apartment. Authorities confirmed that the drone's entire explosive payload detonated on impact.

Casualties and Evacuations

Two residents sustained minor injuries, described as abrasions, and were transported to a hospital. Two other individuals experienced panic attacks and received on-site medical care. Approximately 70 people were evacuated or self-evacuated from the affected building and an adjacent connected block. The mayor of Galați, Ionuț Pucheanu, noted the narrow escape, stating that if the drone had struck a bedroom directly, the occupants would likely have died.

If it had fallen on the bedroom where the two injured people were sleeping, they probably wouldn't be alive now.

Official Response and Military Reaction

The Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MApN) confirmed that the drone entered Romanian airspace and was tracked by radar until it crashed in southern Galați. Two F-16 fighter jets from the Fetești air base and an IAR 330 SOCAT helicopter were scrambled, with pilots authorized to engage targets throughout the alert. The incident is the most serious of its kind since the start of the war in Ukraine. MApN reported that drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory in 47 instances, 12 of which occurred this year alone.

One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, being tracked by radars to the southern area of Galați municipality and crashed on the roof of a residential building.

Emergency Services and Safety Measures

Emergency services, including ISU Galați, police, and SRI specialists, secured the area and extinguished the fire. The Red Intervention Plan was activated and later deactivated. Electricity and gas supplies to the affected stairwell were cut off, and structural engineers were scheduled to assess the building's integrity before residents could return. Raed Arafat, head of the Department for Emergency Situations, emphasized the importance of heeding RO-Alert messages, which were sent to Galați, Brăila, and Tulcea counties minutes before the crash.

The probability is small, but look, it happens. We are at the second incident in a month, so these messages must be taken seriously.

Context and Witness Accounts

Russia had resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine near the Romanian border. Witnesses described hearing a loud buzzing noise before the explosion. One resident, Mihai Costache, reported seeing the drone pass over his building from the direction of Reni or Orlivka before it struck the neighboring block. Traffic on Strada Brăilei was restricted as investigations continued, and temporary accommodation was arranged for evacuees, though none had been relocated at the time of reporting.