Romanian MFA summons Russian ambassador over drone incident

Romania’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipayev to notify him of the diplomatic measures Bucharest will take after a drone incident in the city of Galati, top Romanian diplomat Oana Toiu told the TVR Info broadcaster.

Earlier, the Romanian Defense Ministry reported that a drone had crashed onto the roof of an apartment building in Galati. Bucharest blamed the incident on Russia.

"This is an unprecedentedly serious incident," Toiu stated. "I have summoned the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry this afternoon. He will be notified of the measures that Romania will take at the diplomatic level in response to the incident," she added.

According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Toiu has held a phone call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, briefing her on the incident, and was assured that "Romania and its European partners will speed up the approval of a new sanctions package against Russia."

 Following the incident involving a UAV, Romania has decided to close the Russian Consulate General in Constanta and declare the consul general persona non grata, Romanian President Nicusor Dan announced after a meeting of the country’s Supreme Council of National Defense, which discussed the consequences of the drone crash onto a house in the Romanian city of Galati.

"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.