Who fired the drone that hit Romania last week? Technical report reaches “unequivocal conclusion”

Last week, NATO member Romania was hit by a drone coming from Ukrainian airspace.

It hit an apartment building in a town near the border with Ukraine and injured a 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman. Both had to be taken to the hospital.

The blame was immediately aimed at Russia, as the strike happened during a large Russian assault on various Ukrainian targets, but there was still a lack of evidence as to who actually fired the drone, as it could also have been a Ukrainian drone that was jammed and driven astray.

On Sunday, Romanian President Nicușor Dan posted a long statement on X in which he explained that Romanian experts had completed a forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drone that hit the apartment building last week and that the report had reached an “unequivocal conclusion” regarding the drone’s origin.

And, unsurprisingly perhaps, the conclusion was that the drone was Russian.

Proof in wreckage

Dan explained in the post that distinctive Cyrillic labels and matching mechanical parts proved its exact origin.

“This is the unequivocal conclusion of the technical report finalized by experts of the Romanian state,” the president added.

According to Dan’s post, the drone was a Geran-2 — the Russian version of the Iranian-designed Shahed drone.

The incident in the port city of Galați represents a serious escalation for the region. Since the 2022 invasion began, this is the first known instance of a residential building outside Ukraine being struck. People are deeply shaken.

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Tracking the weapon

Dan noted that laboratory tests confirmed specific materials and fuels matching previously captured military hardware. The drone entered Romanian airspace during a heavy Russian air raid. It crossed the border unexpectedly.

The Russian embassy claimed the crash was a Ukrainian provocation, while President Vladimir Putin argued that “no one” could determine the aircraft’s origin without a full review.

Meanwhile, the incident highlighted the broader air war. A Ukrainian intelligence commander known as “Vector” noted that Kyiv frequently deploys decoy drones to deceive enemy radar operators during long-range operations.

According to Kyiv Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Bucharest for its clarity. “Facts are the best cure to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s lies, and they prove that Russia’s manipulations will not pass,” Zelensky said, offering closer cooperation to help shield Europe.

Sources: Kyiv Post, Reuters, AFP, X post from Nicușor Dan

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation