Ukraine to send anti-drone experts to Romania and Baltics
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday, June 3, during a joint press conference in Kyiv with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, that Ukraine will send specialized anti-drone air defense teams to Romania and the Baltic states. The deployment aims to help these nations protect their territories against incursions by drones used in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The decision follows a recent escalation in cross-border drone incidents. On the night of May 29, a drone struck a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați, wounding a woman and her 14-year-old son.
"Dates have been set and preparations are underway for our experts to go there and share their expertise, just as we have already done in the Middle East," Zelensky said, referring to Ukrainian military personnel previously sent to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to assist in intercepting Iranian-made drones.
The strategic move highlights growing security concerns on NATO's eastern flank. Commenting on the recent strike in Galați, Romanian authorities stated that "Romania will not ignore and will not downplay any incident that endangers the lives of its citizens, national security, or the sovereignty of the Romanian state."
The technical reality of the conflict has increasingly affected neighboring countries. On May 29, a Russian Geran-2 drone, which had entered Ukrainian airspace, crashed in Galați. Conversely, in recent weeks, Ukrainian-launched drones targeting northern Russia have also crashed in Finland and the Baltic states.
The government in Kyiv maintained that Russia has been intentionally rerouting some of these Ukrainian drones toward NATO territory using its advanced electronic warfare systems.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
