Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Would you allow it?
The night before Friday last week, a residential building in NATO member Romania was hit by a drone, injuring two civilians.
During the weekend, Romanian authorities reported that it was a Russian Shahed-type drone packed with explosives that struck the city of Galați. The city sits just a few kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
NATO quickly condemned Moscow for what it called a reckless attack. Seeking to limit the fallout, the Romanian government acted diplomatically by shutting down a Russian consulate.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan explained that the drone probably veered off course after being hit by Ukrainian air defenses. Still, he made it clear that Russia bears ultimate responsibility.
But now the Kremlin is pushing a different narrative to avoid blame.
Blame and demands
During an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Moscow demanded to join the official inquiry.
The Kyiv Independent cited Russia’s UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, who argued that the facts must be properly established. He stated: “All circumstances of the incident must be established through a thorough, objective, and depoliticized investigation, primarily with the involvement of the Russian side.”
The diplomat added that Moscow wants access to the wreckage. Nebenzya said: “We are ready to participate in such an investigation, but, of course, only if we are provided with objective data and the drone debris for analysis.”
While Nebenzya admitted that Russia launched strikes on Ukraine that day, he attempted to shift the blame to Kyiv. He even suggested a conspiracy. The crash, he claimed, was a Ukrainian provocation intended to drag NATO into the war.
Clear evidence
Leaders in Bucharest and Kyiv are not buying the Kremlin’s defense. Romanian investigators have already gathered clear evidence showing that the explosive device came directly from Russia.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Toiu stood firm on the findings. She noted: “The gravity of the action and the responsibility of the perpetrator are clear.”
Ukraine backed its neighbour at the UN. Envoy Andrii Melnyk expressed solidarity with Bucharest, calling it part of a larger pattern.
Melnyk warned that other nations remain at risk. “What happened in Romania was not an isolated incident,” Melnyk stressed, pointing to Russian media reports that had previously called for attacks on European capitals.
Sources: UN Security Council, Romanian Government Reports, NATO Statement, The Kyiv Independent
