The Minister of Defense, asked if “the Army failed” in the Galati incident: “There are capabilities that it had no concern to bring to the endowment”
Interim Minister of Defense, Radu Miruță, said on Friday that last night's incident in Galați “was not a failure of the Army”, but he noted that the institution “had no concern” so far to acquire military capabilities with which to respond to “the evolution of these targets”.
Present alongside President Nicușor Dan and other officials in Galați, where a Russian drone fell on a block of flats on the night of Thursday to Friday, the Minister of Defense was asked if “the Romanian Army failed in fulfilling its mission, that of defending territorial integrity and the civilian population”.
“The Romanian Army has been making an intense effort in the last 12 months (…). The Romanian Army has not recently done such endowment projects. The evolution of these targets requires capabilities that the Romanian Army has so far not had the concern to bring into endowment,” answered Radu Miruță.
On the other hand, he stated that “it was not a failure of the Army, because the Army did the best it could with the equipment it had, following the endowment of the last years.”
“When we arrived at the Ministry of Defense, two months ago, there was a concern to buy such capabilities, and forget that today we are in a situation where we are contracting the most modern anti-drone defense equipment. If they had existed last night or if they had existed half a year ago, such cases most likely would not have happened,” the official added.
Why does he say the drone was not intercepted before it entered the city
Asked why the drone was not intercepted until it reached an urban area, the interim Minister of Defense explained: “Because it traveled in Romanian airspace for 4 minutes. Because the fighter jets did not have the scenario to engage such a drone without risks in the city of Galati. Because concrete anti-drone defense capabilities are not sufficient in the Romanian Army.”
Radu Miruță also spoke about Romania's “answer” to Russia.
“Perhaps the best answer is happening tonight. Eight projects will be signed for the most advanced anti-drone defense capabilities in the world today,” he added.
