A top Vladimir Putin ally has warned Europeans they “shouldn’t be going to sleep expecting peaceful nights” after a Russian drone crashed into a residential building in Romania. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and now deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, launched a foul-mouthed attack on European leaders following the incident, telling them to “shut your piehole” and warning that similar strikes could happen again.
The Kremlin hardliner was responding to international condemnation after a Russian Geran-2 drone crossed into Romanian airspace and struck the apartment block in the city of Galați during an overnight attack on neighbouring Ukraine. Romanian authorities said two people were injured in the incident, which officials described as the most serious security breach on Romanian territory since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
In a Telegram post, Medvedev mocked the reaction from European leaders, writing: “The Euro-impotents are throwing a fit over a drone hitting some residential building in Romania.”
While acknowledging that the drone's origin should be established, he dismissed criticism from NATO and EU countries, arguing they had no grounds to complain because of their support for Ukraine.
Medvedev claimed without providing evidence: “European nations are direct participants in the war against Russia.”
The accusation echoes a long-running Kremlin narrative that Western military support for Kyiv makes NATO countries active participants in the conflict, despite the alliance not being directly involved in combat operations.
Medvedev then suggested Europeans should expect further incidents.
He wrote: “So they’d better get used to it. This won’t be the last time.”
He followed that with a stark warning directed at ordinary citizens across the continent.
Medvedev added: “Citizens of EU countries shouldn’t be going to sleep expecting peaceful nights.”
He concluded his remarks with a crude instruction to European governments to “shut your piehole”.
The comments came hours after Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced the closure of Russia's Consulate General in Constanța and declared Russia's consul general persona non grata in response to the drone incident.
Romanian officials said the drone entered the country's airspace before crashing into the residential building during a wider Russian attack targeting Ukraine.
The strike drew swift condemnation from Western leaders.
Mark Rutte expressed NATO's “full solidarity” with Romania, while Ursula von der Leyen said Russia's war had “crossed yet another line”.
Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the incident demonstrated that Russia's aggression threatened not only Ukraine but the entire Black Sea region and Europe.
Medvedev has become one of the most outspoken and inflammatory figures in Putin's orbit since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The former president, who once presented a more moderate face of Russian politics, now regularly uses social media to attack Western leaders and issue threats against Europe and the United States.
According to the Kyiv Post, Medvedev has made more than a dozen threats involving nuclear weapons against Europe since the start of the war.
His latest comments are likely to deepen concerns across NATO about Russia's increasingly aggressive rhetoric as the conflict continues, particularly given that Romania is both a frontline Black Sea state and a member of the alliance.
