Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on Romania and its European allies to provide evidence that a drone which crashed into a residential building in Romania belonged to Russia.
Speaking during the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Putin said Russia was being blamed without a proper investigation. He argued that similar incidents involving drones in countries such as Finland, Poland, and the Baltic states were initially blamed on Moscow before later findings suggested otherwise.
Putin said no country should jump to conclusions until experts complete a full examination of the drone wreckage. He also asked Romanian authorities to share any evidence with Russia for an independent review.
According to the Romanian government, the drone was detected in the country’s airspace before crashing into an apartment building in the city of Galati during an overnight attack linked to the war in Ukraine. Two people were reportedly injured in the incident.
Romania, a member of both the European Union and NATO, condemned the attack and summoned the Russian ambassador over the development. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu warned that the incident could further damage diplomatic relations between Bucharest and Moscow.
The incident has added to growing tensions between Russia and NATO countries as the conflict in Ukraine continues.
