Nato chief vows 'absolute solidarity' with Romania after Russian drone crash injures 2

Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Friday he had assured Romania’s president of the alliance’s “absolute solidarity” as he slammed Russia for a drone crash in the country bordering Ukraine. Nato member Romania said that a drone injured two people in a southeastern city during an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine , the first time in the war that a drone had hit a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries. The incident in Romania, also a member of the European Union, was likely to increase tensions on Nato’s eastern flank at a time when Ukraine’s allies are worried about Russia’s war on its neighbour spilling over its borders. “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” Rutte wrote on social media after a call with President Nicusor Dan. “I affirmed that Nato stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory.” The drone hit the roof of a 10-storey block of flats in Galati and caused an explosion, the Romanian authorities said. “We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and Nato will continue to strengthen our defences against all threats, including drones,” a Nato spokesperson posted on X. ‘Serious violation of international law’ “Initial information indicates that the entire load of the Geran 2 drone, of Russian origin, exploded upon impact,” the defence ministry said in a statement. Romania, which shares a 650-kilometre land border with Ukraine, has experienced Russian drones breaching its airspace 28 times since Moscow began attacking Kyiv’s ports across the Danube River, Romania’s defence ministry said. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu called the incident a “serious violation of international law” and said that Bucharest had “requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania”. She said the Russian ambassador had been summoned to the foreign ministry. ...

Original source: Dawn Pakistan