MOSCOW: Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, warned European leaders on Friday that drone-related incidents would continue to affect their countries, saying residents across Europe should expect further disruptions as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates.
His remarks came after NATO accused Moscow of reckless conduct and reaffirmed its commitment to defend every part of Allied territory. The statement followed reports from Romania that a Russian drone had crashed into an apartment building during a strike targeting neighboring Ukraine.
However, Medvedev argued that authorities had yet to determine the drone’s origin. At the same time, he criticized European governments for condemning the incident, claiming they were directly involved in what he described as a war against Russia.
“Let them get ready: this will continue to happen,” Medvedev said. He added that because a war was underway, citizens of European Union countries would not be able to live peacefully or sleep without concern.
Furthermore, Medvedev suggested that such incidents were more likely to occur in areas linked to the production of drones and military equipment supplied to Ukraine. According to him, European-made drones, spare parts, weapons, and intelligence support are regularly used in attacks on Russian territory.
He also alleged that these operations have caused damage to residential buildings inside Russia and resulted in civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, Russia continued to monitor developments surrounding the Romanian incident. The state-run TASS news agency reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the matter. In addition, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow would respond swiftly to any retaliatory measures taken by Romania following the reported drone crash.
The incident has further heightened tensions between Russia and NATO as concerns grow over the possibility of the Ukraine conflict spilling beyond its borders.
