Romania's government has officially confirmed that a drone that crossed its border and struck an apartment building was of Russian origin.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said Monday on social media that "the drone that struck Galati in eastern Romania on May 28 was a Russian-made Geran-2."
He added that the finding was "the clear conclusion of a technical report completed by Romanian experts."
According to the investigation report, Cyrillic lettering spelling out "Geran-2" was found on recovered drone debris. Romanian authorities said the electronic components, navigation systems and engine were similar or identical to those of other Geran-2 drones previously found in Romania.
The drone struck an apartment building in the Galati region, near the Ukrainian border, on May 28, injuring two residents and sparking a fire.
Romania had already suspected the drone was of Russian origin. President Dan said he would close the Russian consulate in Constanta in southeastern Romania and expel the Russian consul stationed there.
NATO and the EU both condemned the incident as a Russian act of escalation. Romania is a member of both organizations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin denied involvement, saying that "no one can say where a specific aircraft came from until an expert assessment has been carried out."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social media shortly after Romania's official announcement, thanking Bucharest for publishing its findings and writing that "facts are the best remedy for Putin's lies."
husn7@heraldcorp.com
