Moscow will react swiftly and mercilessly to Bucharest's decision to close the Russian Consulate General in Romania and declare Consul General Andrei Kosilin "persona non grata". This was announced today by the official spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, to the state agency TASS, Focus reports.
''The Russian side's countermeasures in connection with the declaration of the Russian Consul General as persona non grata and the forced closure of our diplomatic mission will not be late'', Zakharova was categorical.
The tension between the two countries is not accidental and is a direct consequence of the serious incident with a drone in the immediate vicinity of the Bulgarian border that occurred today.
On the night of Friday (May 29, 2026), a combat drone - which our northern neighbor is categorical that it was launched by the Russian army - entered deep into Romanian airspace. The machine overcame air defenses and crashed directly into the roof of a residential building in the Danube city of Galati.
The drone's crash on Romanian territory has strained Bucharest's patience. The Romanian authorities reacted with unprecedented severity within hours:
The Russian Consulate General was sealed on the orders of the Romanian government.
Consul General Andrei Kosilin was given an ultimatum to immediately leave the country and was declared "persona non grata".
The incident in Galati is one of the most serious breaches of the airspace of a NATO member state since the beginning of the conflict, which has also alarmed security forces in Bulgaria due to the proximity of military operations on the Black Sea coast. Zakharova's threat of "retaliatory measures" increases fears of further hybrid and diplomatic escalation in the Balkans.