NATO member Romania on Friday declared Russia “persona non grata,” or unwelcome, after a Russian drone hit an apartment building in Galati, injuring a mother and child.Romanian President Nicusor Dan declared the Russian Consul General in Constanta persona non grata following the incident, adding that the consulate will be closed.“We had a serious incident last night in which two citizens were injured and the entire responsibility lies with Russia,” Dan said. “The Russian Consul General in Constanta has been declared persona non grata and the consulate in Constanta will close.”
In a post on X after the attack, Dan said he informed all NATO and European Union allies, requested allies deploy additional anti-drone defense systems, and alerted the United Nations Security Council.
He blamed the incident entirely on Russia, saying such an attack is a “systematic disregard for international law.”
“I declare, with the utmost firmness, that full responsibility for this incident lies with the Russian Federation,” Dan said. “What happened today in Galati is the direct consequence of Russia’s war of aggression unleashed against Ukraine, the irresponsible and indiscriminate manner in which Moscow operates these weapon systems in the immediate vicinity of NATO borders, as well as the systematic disregard for international law. There is no ambiguity regarding the perpetrator or the cause of this aggression.”
