Healey condemns Russian drone hit in Romania

Defence Secretary John Healey condemned a Russian drone strike on Romania in a statement to the House of Commons on 1 June 2026, telling MPs the UK stands with Romania and its NATO allies.

Healey opened by condemning the strike. “Can I start by condemning the reckless Russian drone strike on Romania,” he told the House, asking MPs to stand with the ally. The strike, on 29 May, saw a drone hit an apartment building in the south-eastern Romanian city of Galati, near the border with Ukraine, injuring two people. It was the first time during the war that such a strike had hit a populated area inside a NATO and European Union member state, and it came as Russia was attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure across the Danube.

Healey said the UK stood with Romania and all its NATO allies, telling MPs he had commissioned UK options to contribute to any NATO-led actions to strengthen Romania should they be required. The United Kingdom already has four RAF Typhoons deployed in Romania on a four-month NATO air policing mission. In a statement posted after the strike, Healey had said: “Russia’s reckless and illegal actions in Ukraine are spreading beyond their borders.” He added: “The UK stands firm with Romania. RAF jets are already deployed to Romania to support NATO air policing. We will work with NATO secretary general to help strengthen that presence if needed.

The Galati strike has intensified concern across NATO about the alliance’s exposure to low-flying, low-cost drones that can evade conventional air defences. Romania declared the Russian consul in Constanta persona non grata and moved to close the consulate in response, while Russian officials suggested the drone may have originated from Ukrainian air defence activity.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan described it as the most serious security incident on Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The incident was the latest in a series of drone incursions into Romanian airspace since that year, but the first to cause casualties in a residential area, sharpening allied attention on the protection of NATO’s eastern flank.