On the night of 29 May 2026, a Russian Geran-2 (Shahed) attack drone crashed into the 10th floor of a residential building in Galați, Romania. The impact sparked a fire, injured two people, and forced the evacuation of around 70 residents.
Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets, but the drone was not shot down due to the risk of major destruction in a densely populated area. Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already called for consultations with allies under NATO Article 4, while the European Commission announced preparations for a 21st sanctions package against Russia.
The incident once again exposed a major sanctions enforcement problem. Since 2022, analysts at the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) have been studying downed Russian drones and found that Russian UAVs are built almost entirely from foreign-made components produced in both Western and Eastern countries.
Microchips, receivers, transistors, diodes, and antennas are primarily manufactured by companies from the US, China, and Europe. According to NAKO analysts, more than 100 components used in Russian drones are produced by around 20 European companies — despite the EU’s formal ban on direct exports of such products to Russia.
Western microelectronics entering Russia through grey-market schemes and shell companies are now destroying residential buildings inside the European Union itself.
Photo: Pro Lider FM