The link between the Galatians incident and Russia's strategy in the Ukraine war, which is “not going well”
The Galati incident may have been an accident, but it added to the concerns that exist among Europeans as the war in Ukraine drags on, wrote Steven Erlanger, a Berlin-based journalist, in a material for The New York Times in which he cites expert interpretations after the case of the drone that hit an apartment block in the city in eastern Romania.
One of them is Jan Techau, director for Europe at Eurasia Group, who believes that Russia is trying to distract attention from the battlefield in Ukraine with its frequent threats, air intrusions, cyber attack campaigns and acts of sabotage targeting critical infrastructure in NATO countries.
In his opinion, “Russia wants to expand the issue, to increase the pressure on the internal debates in our countries, to try to emphasize that Ukraine cannot win and that it is time to push Kiev towards an agreement.”
Russia hopes that such a strategy will be facilitated by the feeling of vulnerability in Europe and by the hostile attitude of US President Donald Trump towards NATO, but also by his friendly attitude towards Moscow, Jan Techau also believes.
Russia tries to “escalate to de-escalate”
Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to NATO, said the Russians were trying to “escalate to de-escalate, to re-establish some form of dominance to be able to negotiate a conclusion in Ukraine from a position of strength”.
Hanna Notte, a Russia expert at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, argues that “Russia's war is not going well, and Kiev's strike campaign deep into Russia is causing problems for Moscow.”
“So Russia is increasing its warnings about escalation” to “countries that support Ukraine,” Notte added.
A Russian drone hit a block of flats in Galati
A Russian drone crashed on the night of Thursday to Friday, around 02:00, on a block in the city of Galati. Two people were treated at the scene, while two others – a woman and a 14-year-old boy – suffered burns and were taken to hospital. Approximately 70 people were evacuated.
It is “the most serious security incident on Romanian territory since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine”, as described by President Nicușor Dan, who spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and announced the closure of the Russian Consulate in Constanța.
