Portugal and Slovakia expressed their availability to provide Romania with drone defense equipment as part of efforts to consolidate security on NATO’s Eastern flank, president Nicușor Dan announced on June 18.

The two countries join the United States, France, Italy, and Spain, which already contribute or have announced equipment or expertise contributions in defending Romania’s airspace against drone incursions, the president said.

Ukraine will also dispatch teams of specialists to Romania and the Baltic states to share its experience in countering drone threats, president Volodymyr Zelensky announced earlier this month.

The president's announcement follows recent incidents where a Russian drone crashed into a residential apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați on May 29, and a maritime drone exploded in the Port of Constanța on June 5.

The drone crash in Galați was condemned in a June 18 European Council statement on Ukraine and on European defense and security.

The statement strongly condemns Russia’s missile and drone attacks against civilians in Ukraine, the recent strikes against the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, “as well as the increasingly aggressive, reckless and irresponsible behavior towards EU member states, including foreign information manipulation and interference, and threats against the European diplomatic presence in Ukraine.”

"The recent incident in which a Russian drone carrying explosives crashed into a residential building in Romania, as well as similar incidents in other member states, are a direct result of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and threaten the security of EU citizens and regional stability. The European Council strongly condemns the repeated violations of member states’ airspace and territorial waters and underlines that Russia bears full responsibility for the consequences of its escalatory behavior and its continued military actions. The European Council reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the security of all member states,” the statement reads.

(Photo: Presidency.ro)

simona@romania-insider.com