In its conclusions after the first day of the EU summit in Brussels on June 18–19, the European Council said that recent incidents involving drones entering the territory of European countries were a “direct result of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine.”
The declaration specifically referred to the episode in Romania, where a drone struck a residential building. Romanian authorities said the drone was of Russian manufacture.
“The recent incident in which a Russian explosive drone crashed into a residential building in Romania, as well as similar incidents in other EU member states, are a direct result of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine and threaten the security of EU citizens and regional stability,” the statement said.
EU countries also said they strongly condemn repeated violations of the airspace and territorial waters of member states by Russia.
“Russia bears full responsibility for the consequences of its escalatory behavior and ongoing military actions,” the declaration said.
The text also speaks of plans to further increase pressure on Russia while continuing to weaken the foundations of its war economy. According to Deutsche Welle, all 27 EU member states backed the joint statement — the first time this has happened since December 2024. Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had opposed agreeing to similar language.
In recent months, drones have repeatedly entered the airspace of European countries, above all Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. The authorities in those states said the aircraft were Ukrainian drones that crossed the border after being affected by Russian electronic warfare systems. Russia, for its part, accused the Baltic states of allowing their airspace to be used for attacks on Russian regions.
The Romanian incident took place on May 29 during a Russian attack on Ukraine. Two people were injured when the drone hit the residential building. Soon afterward, Bucharest announced the closure of Russia’s consulate general in Constanta and the expulsion of Consul General Andrei Kosilin.