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Tag: Romania

  • Russian drone crashes into apartment building in Romania

    Russian drone crashes into apartment building in Romania

    A Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania, the country’s defence ministry said early on Friday, causing a fire and injuring two people.

    The drone crashed in the eastern city of Galati as Russia carried out attacks in Ukraine near the border, the ministry said in a statement.

    The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said the drone’s entire explosive payload detonated, causing a fire on the 10th floor of the residential building.

    Russian drones have strayed across the border of the Nato member country a number of times during the four-year war with Ukraine, but this was the first time citizens from Romania had been hurt. Russia has yet to comment on the incident.

    “This incident represents a serious and irresponsible escalation on the part of the Russian Federation,” Romania’s foreign ministry said, adding Bucharest had informed the Nato secretary general and “requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania”.

    The emergency services said two people received medical treatment after suffering abrasions and around 70 people were evacuated as the fire was put out.

    In a statement on X, a Nato spokesperson condemned “Russia’s recklessness”, adding that the military alliance would “continue to strengthen our defences against all threats, including drones”.

    Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drones were detected in Romanian airspace, the defence ministry said.

    “One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar as far as the southern part of the city of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, with the impact triggering a fire,” it said.

    The River Danube nearby forms the border with Ukraine, and Ukrainian ports are regularly targets of Russian air attacks.

    In an incident in April, another Russian drone caused material damage in Galati, but no injuries.

    Romania’s defence ministry says that since the start of the war in Ukraine, drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory on 47 separate occasions, 12 of them this year alone.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

    Meanwhile, a nationwide air raid alert was also issued overnight in Ukraine, where officials in the south of the country said the port of Izmail in the Odesa region came under drone attack early on Friday.

    And in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, three utility workers were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Thursday, the Kremlin-installed head of the region said.

    A fourth man was seriously injured in the incident, Denis Pushilin said on the Telegram messaging app.

  • Romania’s pro-EU premier announces his resignation

    Romania’s pro-EU premier announces his resignation

    Romania’s pro-EU Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday announced his resignation, deepening political turmoil a day after a far-right candidate topped the first round of a tense presidential vote rerun.

    EU critic George Simion topped Sunday’s first round in the EU and NATO member bordering war-torn Ukraine, while the ruling coalition’s candidate narrowly lost out to Bucharest’s mayor for the second spot.

    Ciolacu’s resignation comes just two weeks before the second round scheduled for May 18 — closely watched by Brussels and Washington — worsening political turmoil in the eastern European country.

    “I have proposed to my colleagues to leave the governing coalition, which implicitly leads to my resignation as prime minister,” Ciolacu, 57, told reporters after a meeting of his Social Democrats party.

    “We saw how Romanians voted yesterday (Sunday) which means that the ruling coalition has no legitimacy, at least in this formula,” he added.

    He said that his party’s ministers would discuss with their coalition partners to decide whether they will remain in the government on an interim basis.

    Simion, who leads the nationalist AUR party, gained almost 41 percent of votes, double the score of pro-EU independent Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan.

    Dan narrowly edged out the ruling coalition’s candidate Crin Antonescu.

    A far-right victory in the second round could mark a shift in the country’s foreign policy.

    Simion, a fan of US President Donald Trump, has criticised “Brussels’ unelected bureaucrats”, accusing them of having meddled in the Romanian elections.

    In December, Romania’s constitutional court scrapped the ballot after far-right politician Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round.

    The annulment followed allegations of Russian interference and a massive TikTok campaign that emerged in favour of Georgescu.

    Simion has called the annulment “a coup d’etat”.

  • Far-right candidate leads Romania’s presidential rerun

    Far-right candidate leads Romania’s presidential rerun

    Romania’s far-right candidate George Simion was leading in Sunday’s first round of presidential elections according to exit polls for the rerun of last year’s annulled ballot that plunged the country into political turmoil.

    The stakes are high for the NATO country of 19 million, which has become a key pillar of the defence alliance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Simion, leader of the nationalist AUR party, scored between 30 to 33 percent of the vote, according to two exit polls.

    Crin Antonescu, backed by Romania’s governing pro-European coalition, was neck-and-neck with Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, who both took between 21 and 23 percent,

    “Together we made history today,” said Simion in a video message broadcast at his party’s headquarters to supporters chanting “Out with the thieves, let patriots come”.

    But political science professor Sergiu Miscoiu told AFP that Simion was “likely to be defeated in the second round” on May 18, while predicting that it would be a close race.

    – ‘MAGA’ President –
    In all, 11 presidential hopefuls were vying for the largely ceremonial but influential foreign policy post on Sunday.

    The rerun follows the cancellation of last year’s vote won by NATO critic Calin Georgescu.

    He was barred from the rerun after authorities noted a massive TikTok campaign and issued claims of Russian interference, sparking sometimes violent protests.

    Georgescu was replaced by 38-year-old Simion, a fan of Donald Trump often seen wearing a cap with the US president’s slogan “Make America Great Again”.

    “It’s time to take our country back,” said the barred Georgescu after casting his ballot alongside Simion in Mogosoaia, on the outskirts of Bucharest.

    “We are here with a single mission: to return to democracy — and bring justice to Romania,” said Simion, who campaigned on a promise to put Romania first.

    Many voters clearly wanted change on Sunday, among them Robert Teodoroiu, who told AFP he hoped that this time his ballot would count after last year’s vote was annulled.

    “I’m trying my luck again,” said the 37-year-old driver in Bucharest.

    Voter turnout stood at about 53 percent when polls closed.

    Simion has largely campaigned online, partly in a bid to woo Romania’s influential overseas voters.

    While describing himself as “more moderate” than Georgescu, he shares his aversion to what he calls “Brussels’ unelected bureaucrats”.

    Simion accuses EU officials of having meddled in Romania’s elections and has vowed to restore his country’s “dignity” within the European bloc.

    While frequently denouncing Russia, he opposes sending military aid to Ukraine and wants Romania to reduce support for Ukrainian refugees.

    His campaign found favour with 67-year-old Stela Ivan. She hoped a far-right president would bring “change” to Romania after decades dominated by the same political parties since the end of Communism.

    Another voter, 52-year-old nurse Silvia Tomescu, said she hoped for a “better life, higher wages and a president” who “will not side with Russia”.

    – Under scrutiny –
    Pro-European coalition Crin Antonescu campaigned on a promise to offer stability, while Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan vowed to fight the “corrupt” and “arrogant” political elite.

    Former Social Democrats prime minister Victor Ponta, who had been banking on a Trump-style “Romania First” campaign, has been polling behind.

    Simion promised on Sunday that if he became president, he would get Georgescu into power, citing three options on how he would achieve that: “a referendum, snap elections or the formation of a coalition in parliament that would appoint him Prime Minister”.

    Following the shock annulment of last year’s ballot — a rare move in the EU — the rerun will be held under close scrutiny.

    Thousands in Romania have protested in recent months against the annulment of the vote, denouncing what they called a “coup”.

    The United States also criticised the annulment, with Vice President JD Vance condemning the decision.

    To avoid a repeat of last year’s turmoil, the authorities have stepped up preventive measures as well as cooperation with TikTok, saying they are committed to “fair and transparent” elections.

    While the far right alleged “multiple signs of fraud”, the government pointed to various disinformation campaigns it said were “new attempts at manipulation and interference by state actors”.