NATO has accused Russia of launching a drone strike that impacted an apartment building in Romania. In response to these allegations, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, issued a stark warning to European leaders, suggesting that such incursions are set to continue and will likely disrupt the peace of mind for citizens across the continent.
Medvedev dismissed the claims of Russian involvement, noting that the origins of the drone remain unverified. He expressed frustration at the immediate finger-pointing from European officials. In a written statement reported by Reuters, Medvedev declared, “Let them prepare. This will continue to happen. There is an ongoing war! And the citizens of the European Union, like the residents of countries at war, will not be able to sleep soundly.”
The Russian official further speculated that the drone found in Romania could potentially be of Ukrainian origin. He argued that incidents like this are an inevitable byproduct of the current geopolitical climate. “After all, European drones, their spare parts, and other weaponry—not to mention intelligence—are being used in attacks against our country every single day. As a result of their actions, residential buildings are damaged, and our civilians are dying,” Medvedev stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin echoed this skepticism, asserting that it is premature to attribute the drone strike in Romania to Moscow. During a press conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, Putin challenged the narrative presented by Western officials. “Who in Romania is saying that this is a Russian drone?” he asked. “No one can say for sure where these drones come from until a proper investigation has been carried out.”
Putin pointed to previous incidents in Finland, Poland, and the Baltic states where drones were initially blamed on Russia, only for later investigations to prove otherwise. “The first reaction is exactly the same as it is now in Romania: ‘The Russians are coming,'” Putin remarked, mocking the tendency to immediately point the blame at Moscow. “Then, after a while, it turns out it had nothing to do with Russian drones.”
The Russian President also rejected remarks made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had accused Russia of violating borders in connection with the Romanian incident. Concluding his statement, Putin suggested that Romania should share intelligence and provide access to the drone fragments, which would allow Moscow to conduct its own independent investigation into the matter.
Summary
NATO has accused Russia of launching a drone strike that impacted an apartment building in Romania. In response, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, dismissed the claims of Russian involvement, stating the drone’s origin remains unverified. He warned European leaders that such incursions would continue due to the ongoing war, disrupting peace for citizens across the continent. Medvedev also speculated that the drone found in Romania could potentially be of Ukrainian origin, given European weaponry used against Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin echoed this skepticism, asserting it is premature to attribute the drone strike in Romania to Moscow without a proper investigation. He referenced past incidents in Finland, Poland, and the Baltic states where initial blame on Russia was later disproven. Putin rejected accusations from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and suggested Romania share intelligence and drone fragments to allow Moscow to conduct its own independent investigation.
