Medvedev Issues Threats After the Russian Drone Strike in Romania: “Europe Will Not Sleep Peacefully!”

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, warned that European countries should expect continued drone incidents following the crash of a Russian drone into a residential building in Romania during strikes connected to Ukraine.

He said European governments should not be surprised if similar events repeat. “Let them get ready: this will continue to happen. There is a war going on,” Medvedev stated, adding that citizens in EU states would struggle to live in peace while the conflict persists.

Medvedev said it was still necessary to confirm the drone’s origin, but argued that European states were already involved in the conflict through their support for Ukraine. “European states are direct participants in the war against Russia,” he said, claiming that Western military assistance and intelligence contribute to attacks on Russian territory and result in damage to civilian structures.

He also suggested that areas linked to drone production for Ukraine could become targets for similar incidents. According to him, the conflict environment ensures continued spillover effects beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Western officials rejected Moscow’s framing of the incident. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reaffirmed that the alliance would defend all member territory, while the European Commission stressed that Russia’s actions had crossed another boundary in the war and vowed continued pressure on Moscow.

EU officials and NATO members condemned the strike in Romania, which injured two people when a drone identified as Russian crashed into a residential block in Galați during an overnight attack on Ukraine. Romanian authorities described the event as a serious escalation and linked it to broader violations of airspace in the region.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the situation, while Russian officials indicated that a response would follow Romania’s decision to take diplomatic countermeasures, including the closure of the Russian consular mission in Constanța.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico responded differently, calling for renewed engagement between the EU and Russia. He expressed solidarity with Romania but argued that the absence of dialogue increases the risk of escalation. “I call for restraint in making inflammatory statements and once again urge the immediate opening of dialogue between the European Union and the Russian Federation,” he said, warning that accidental cross-border incidents could become harder to control as tensions persist.

The incident in Galați occurred during a wider wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern regions, and Romanian officials said the drone was part of a larger group launched from Russian-controlled areas. The event has intensified debate within Europe over security risks along NATO’s eastern flank and the growing likelihood of spillover from the war.