National Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Saturday that, following the drone incident in the Galati area, the General Staff is analysing the repositioning of monitoring and defence systems along the border with Ukraine.

'The war launched by the Russian Federation, right at our border, is as real as it gets. It is a harsh war, with dramatic consequences for human lives and with effects that, unfortunately, are sometimes felt on Romanian territory as well, although we are not part of the conflict. Last night, the residents of Galati experienced such a situation, unfortunately, and I fully understand the fears of people in the area. Following an intense attack on infrastructure in Ukraine, in the Reni area, fragments of a Russian-made drone also reached Romanian territory. Based on the engine and characteristics, it is a Geran 2 type drone, a new model, manufactured in Russia, which flew at low altitude for approximately 4 minutes over a distance of 15 km in national airspace,' Miruta wrote on his Facebook page.

He added that the Romanian Army has full monitoring capability of national airspace from a certain altitude upwards.

'For the flight of small objects at very low altitudes, in areas with terrain that limits radar capabilities, 'mobile' local solutions are developed and integrated into the national radar monitoring system. But yes ... their number is limited and military specialists deploy them where risks are higher. Based on the development of Russian attacks in Ukraine near Romania's border, up to now there were no indications of such a development in the area where the drone fragments were found last night. Each month, the Ministry of National Defence [MApN] develops new solutions, either through capability acquisitions or through the re-planning and different integration of existing capabilities. Thus, Romanian Armed Forces servicemen continuously cover risks that were previously unaddressed. Following last night's incident, the General Staff is analysing the repositioning of monitoring and defence systems along the border with Ukraine,' Defence Minister Radu Miruta said.

National Defence Minister Miruta also said it is important for things to be understood correctly: no army in the world can intercept drone debris resulting from massive attacks carried out under any terrain conditions at low altitude.

'If the air defence capabilities designed and included in the SAFE [Security Action for Europe] programme had been in the Romanian Army's inventory yesterday, even in the scenario of a flight through a specific area of terrain at low altitude like last night, the Russian drone would most likely have been detected and intercepted. Within the MApN, together with NATO allies and European Union partners, we work every day to anticipate and manage even the least likely risk scenarios. Protecting the population and human lives remains our absolute priority. I am in constant contact with my colleague, the Foreign Affairs Minister, in order to ensure that the Russian Federation receives a firm message following last night's incident,' Defence Minister Radu Miruta also said.

Romania's Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu summoned the Russian Federation Ambassador to Bucharest on Saturday at the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) headquarters, following the crash overnight in the Galati area of a Russian drone used in attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

Russian forces resumed the drone attacks overnight from Friday to Saturday on targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania, two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of the British Air Force were scrambled, with authorisation to engage the drones and in the Bariera Traian area of the city of Galati drone fragments were reported to have fallen, damaging an outbuilding, as well as an electricity pole, with no casualties recorded, the MApN informed.

Specialists at the site of the crash of the Russian drone in the Bariera Traian area of Galati have identified a possible explosive payload and authorities have ordered the evacuation of people within a 200-metre radius of the affected perimeter, the Inspectorate General for Emergency Situations (IGSU) said.

Security forces evacuated 217 people from a residential area on the outskirts of Galati where a Russian drone with a possible explosive payload had crashed, including 11 people with medical conditions or mobility issues who were transported by ambulance. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Dana Piciu; EN - writing by: Rodica State)