Relations between Bucharest and Moscow have deteriorated further following a Russian drone incident in the eastern Romanian city of Galați, with President Nicușor Dan warning that Romania could consider expelling Russia’s ambassador if similar incidents occur again.

A drone struck the top of an apartment block in Galați on May 28, causing a fire and prompting the evacuation of dozens of residents. A 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman were hospitalised. Romanian authorities say forensic evidence from the debris indicates that the drone was launched by Russian forces, though Russia rejects the accusation.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC on May 30, Dan said Romania had additional measures at its disposal following the drone strike, which injured two civilians after hitting a residential building near the border with Ukraine.

“When the Russians strike, they target cities that are on the other side of the Danube, they have to make sure that they do not hurt Romanian citizens. So it is a warning to the Russian side and I hope they will stop. If not, we have other measures that we can take against them,” Dan said.

The remarks came after Romania closed Russia’s Consulate General in Constanța and declared Consul General Andrei Kosilin persona non grata in response to the drone incident.

The president’s statement drew attention not because it signalled a change in Romania’s position on the war in Ukraine, but because it framed the issue primarily through the risks posed to Romanian citizens living near the border. Media outlets including EU Today noted that Dan's comments focused on preventing harm to Romanian territory and civilians rather than explicitly condemning attacks on Ukrainian population centres.

Moscow reacted sharply to the diplomatic measures already taken by Bucharest. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would respond to the closure of the Constanța consulate and the expulsion of the consul.

“Retaliatory measures in connection with the declaration of the Russian Consul General as persona non grata and the closure of the Consulate General will not be delayed,” Zakharova said.

Historian Armand Goșu told Contributors, as cited by HotNews.ro, that the Russian consulate in Constanța had long functioned as “a Russian spy point in a very, very sensitive area” and said he was surprised it had remained operational for so long.

The diplomatic dispute has also reached the United Nations. On June 1, Romania led a joint statement supported by 56 UN member states condemning the drone strike that hit the apartment building in Galați on May 28.

“Such behavior is unacceptable under international law and must stop,” Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said in the statement, which was backed by countries from the European Union and Nato.

According to Digi24, Russia’s representative at the UN described Romania’s claims as unfounded and argued that Moscow had not been involved in the investigation despite expressing willingness to cooperate.

The United States representative condemned Russia’s actions and reiterated Washington’s commitment to defend “every inch of Nato territory”.

While drone fragments have landed in Romania on several occasions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Galați strike marked the most serious incident to date involving injuries and direct damage to civilian property, significantly increasing pressure on Romanian authorities to respond.