A Russian drone crashed early this morning, April 25, in the municipality of Galati, around 02:00. Authorities issued RO-Alert messages at the time of the incident, and NATO aircraft scrambled. About six hours later, authorities began the emergency evacuation of local residents, according to Observatornews.ro.
Authorities are considering the possibility that explosive materials may be present in the area. They have restricted access to the perimeter where drone fragments were found and secured the zone with law enforcement and military personnel. So far, teams have safely evacuated 217 people from the affected area.
“The evacuation proceeded both through self-evacuation and with the support of intervention forces, including Police and Gendarmerie. Teams transported eleven people with medical conditions or limited mobility using SMURD ambulances, personnel transport vehicles, and a mobile intensive care unit. All individuals were relocated safely outside the risk zone, while law enforcement continues to monitor over 110 homes. The intervention is ongoing, and specialists are carrying out checks to eliminate any danger,” the Department for Emergency Situations Romania stated.
A spokesperson for the Romanian Ministry of Defense said that British pilots did not engage the drone because neither they nor ground radars detected it after it entered Romanian airspace—they tracked it only while it was over Ukraine. He noted that the drone may have flown at low altitude and avoided detection.
Romanian radars had detected drone activity near the country’s airspace. Two Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the British Air Force, deployed under the enhanced Air Policing mission, took off at 02:00 from the 86th Air Base Fetesti. Initial assessments show that the crash damaged an annex of a household and an electricity pole, but authorities reported no major destruction. Teams found drone fragments in several locations, and police and military forces continue to secure the area.
Local residents said the incident woke them. “There was a flame in the sky, and then it fell—the ground shook a little.” “Good thing it didn’t fall on the house,” they said.
Distrigaz Sud Retele temporarily cut off gas supply in the area, affecting about 555 residential and non-residential consumers across several streets in Galati. Authorities will restore supply only after they eliminate all risks related to the crash. They advised residents to ventilate rooms and avoid using electrical switches or appliances if they smell gas.
According to the DSU, authorities ordered the evacuation of people within a 200-meter radius due to the possible presence of an explosive charge. They implemented this preventive measure to protect the population and allow safe intervention by specialized teams.
Authorities will transport the drone to a secure location and destroy it in a controlled manner, in accordance with legal procedures. They emphasized that all actions follow strict safety protocols and urged citizens to remain calm, follow official instructions, and rely only on verified sources of information.