“The drone from Galati hit the illusion that the Moldovan region is protected”. A civic association criticizes the reaction of the authorities after the incident

The Movement for the Development of Moldova (MDM) criticizes the slow reaction of the authorities in the case of the incident with the drone that fell on a block in Galati and demands the development of an anti-drone shield for the east of Romania, as well as the acceleration of the construction of the A7 and A8 highways, according to a press release issued on Saturday, quoted by News.ro.

The MDM leadership says that Moldova can no longer be treated as a “strategic periphery” of Romania and asks the authorities for several measures, including the reevaluation of defense plans for the Moldova region, the development of an anti-drone shield for eastern Romania, operational and technological cooperation with Ukraine in the field of drones and air defense, and the acceleration of the construction of the A7 and A8 highways as strategic infrastructure.

“Moldova's security is Romania's security. The Russian drone that hit Galațiul on the night of May 28/29, 2026 did not affect just one block. It hit the illusion that the region of Moldova is protected and that the Romanian state is prepared for the threats of modern war. For the Romanian citizens of Moldova, the attack proves that war is no longer a distant reality,” says MDM.

The civic association believes that the reaction of the Romanian authorities was slow, marked by “stuttering and hesitation”, and the announced measures remain simple declarations for the time being.

“The delayed positioning of the Romanian political leadership left free space for anti-democratic, extremist and pro-Russian propaganda, amplifying the effects pursued by Russia in terms of information. For the first time, a drone attack, in the framework of the war started by Russia, produced victims and destruction in a Romanian city. This fact fundamentally changes the perception of security of the citizens, primarily of those in the Moldova region”, states MDM.

MDM representatives also state that over the years, the Romanian state has deluded itself, lied to the citizens that everything is fine, and with each penetration of a Russian drone into its space, it has invented a new lie.

“The reactions we saw after the Galati incident suggest an attempt to return to the old institutional reflexes rather than an assumption of the need for change. The institutions leave the impression of an opaque network of people in decision-making positions in politics, secret services and the army, which cannot be shaken to do something decisive and clear”, declared the MDM leadership.

“The region of Moldova has been bearing the costs of the proximity of the war for years”

The representatives of the association also criticize the fact that the Romanian parties “play” with the SAFE program, with the acquisitions of armaments, with the revitalization of the defense industry and with the construction of large portions of the Moldovan highways, A7 and A8.

“The region of Moldova has been bearing the costs of the proximity of the war for years without benefiting from a similar priority in security and infrastructure investments. Unfortunately, Romanian military decision-makers cannot get out of the paradigm of the Focşani Gate. The event in Galati shows that defense planning must be quickly adapted to the lessons of the war in Ukraine. The region of Moldova can no longer be treated exclusively through strategic concepts formulated for other types of conflicts and other eras,” adds MDM.

According to MDM, for over four years, the Ministry of National Defense responded to society's concerns regarding the security of eastern Romania through bureaucratic formulas and general assurances, insufficient in relation to the seriousness of developments in the region.

“For decades in a row in the halls of politics, secret services and military structures, there was whispered talk about the impossibility of developing Moldova, building highways, modernizing railways, attracting serious industrial investments. For a long time, in the circles of power in Bucharest, Moldova was viewed more through the lens of its strategic role as a buffer zone than as a region that must be developed and protected at the same level as the rest of the country”, added the MDM leadership.