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"Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, rejected accusations that Moscow was responsible for a drone that struck an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galati, calling Western claims 'unsubstantiated' and demanding a 'depoliticised' investigation. "We believe that the primary purpose of today's meeting is to fulfill the request of Western countries to generate yet another anti-Russian information campaign at any cost," Nebenzia told an emergency UN Security Council session. He recognised that the Russian Armed Forces did indeed conduct operations to "suppress the military infrastructure of the Kiev regime" on the night in question. "However, all circumstances surrounding the Galati incident should be established through a thorough, objective, and depoliticised investigation, first and foremost with the participation of the Russian side," Nebenzia explained. He challenged the technical basis of Romanian allegations, arguing the physical evidence contradicted claims of a Russian strike. "According to official Romanian reports, an alleged Russian Geran-2 UAV struck the roof of an apartment building in Galati. The warhead of this UAV carries approximately 50 kilograms of explosives. Had such a UAV struck the building, the damage would not have been limited to the fire shown by Romanian media. The roof would have been completely destroyed," he said. The Russian envoy also pointed to contradictions in statements from Romanian officials, noting that President Nicusor Dan had revised the country's initial position within hours of the incident. "Initially, the incident was described as an alleged deliberate Russian strike against a civilian target. Then, only a few hours later, the Romanian president stated that one of the Russian drones had altered its course and entered Romanian airspace as a result of actions taken by Ukrainian air defence systems," he said. He also questioned the timing of the incident, which occurred one day after President Zelensky publicly appealed to US President Donald Trump for Patriot missile systems. "We do not believe it is a coincidence that the drone incident occurred the day after President Zelensky appealed to President Trump for missiles and publicly complained that Washington was ignoring his requests," Nebenzia stated. He accused Romania of acting on a Western political agenda rather than pursuing facts, citing the swift closure of Russia's Consulate General in Constanta as evidence of pre-prepared retaliatory measures enacted before any investigation had concluded. Nebenzia also invoked the November 2022 Przewodow incident in Poland — where a missile that initially triggered accusations against Russia was later confirmed to be a Ukrainian S-300 air defence projectile. "Responsibility is routinely placed on Russia, yet after some time it emerges that the latest supposed Russian trace was in fact Ukrainian. Western governments then prefer to remain silent about such findings," he said. He went on to raise concern over what he described as a Ukrainian drone strike on the turbine hall of Unit 6 at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, stating the reactor compartment had narrowly escaped damage. "Only by sheer luck was the reactor compartment, located approximately ten meters from the explosion, left undamaged. Radioactive contamination does not recognise state borders. Its consequences would affect the entire European continent," he warned, criticising Brussels and the IAEA for what he called a dangerously muted response. Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations also displayed photographs of 21 people killed in a strike on a college dormitory in Starobilsk at a UN Security Council session, directly confronting Ukraine's envoy over the deaths, after he had argued that those killed were adults. "Here is a photograph of those individuals. Elena Martemyanova, 20 years old. Yes, of legal age. Anna Pogrebnychenko, 19 years old. The list goes on. Here are 21 photographs, each accompanied by a date of birth and a date of death," he said. "The cynicism with which Mr. Melnyk allows himself to mock human lives, and the lives of young people in particular, goes beyond all acceptable bounds." The UN meeting comes after a drone crashed into a residential apartment building in the eastern Romanian city of Galati on Friday, injuring two people. Friday's drone incident over Romania saw Western leaders immediately condemn Russia, with NATO chief Mark Rutte hitting out at Moscow's 'recklessness', while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia had 'crossed yet another line'. Soon after, Romanian president Nicosur Dan admitted the incident was probably down to Ukrainian air defences shooting a UAV off course. Dan revealed that when drones had "passed over the territory of Ukraine, some of them were shot down, and one of them was probably hit over the city of Reni. Its trajectory changed, and it hit Galati." Asked what might've changed the trajectory, he replied the drone was 'hit kinetically" and was 'shot down'. Earlier, the Romanian Defence Ministry had insisted that the drone incident was 'not an attack' on the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Eurasian Economic Union Forum in Astana about the incursion, said: "No one can determine the origin of any aircraft until an investigation has been conducted," while Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova hit out at the Western condemnation as part of an "anti-Russian, Russophobic information campaign." A recent UNSC urgent meeting addressed the drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobelsk, Lugansk region, which Russian authorities blamed on Ukraine. Russian officials said 21 people were killed and dozens were wounded. Ukraine has denied targeting civilians, saying its forces struck a Russian drone unit operating in the area."
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