October 27, 2026 UPDATE

The latest news from RRI

Newsroom, 27.10.2026, 20:02

Sabotage – President Nicușor Dan condemns “with the utmost firmness any involvement by the Russian Federation in acts of sabotage on Romanian territory,” adding that “such actions are unacceptable and represent a serious violation of the country’s sovereignty and security.” For his part, the Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism, Daniel Zamfir, stated that the national defense industry is a strategic economic sector and an essential component of national security, and that “any attempt to sabotage industrial infrastructure, intimidate personnel, or impair production capacities constitutes a direct threat to the national interest.” Meanwhile, the Russian Ambassador to Bucharest, Vladimir Lipaev, was summoned to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). According to the MAE, the Romanian side conveyed a firm protest regarding the act of sabotage, emphasizing the responsibility of the Russian side, a responsibility substantiated by evidence gathered during the investigations. According to DIICOT (the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, which handles counter-terrorism cases) and the SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service), a sabotage network coordinated from Russia was involved in a fire that occurred in September at an industrial site in Brașov (central Romania), a subsidiary of the national company Romarm. Three foreign nationals, two Belarusians and one Ukrainian, all residing in EU member states, are under investigation by DIICOT in connection with this case for attempted acts of subversion, and the Bucharest Court of Appeal has issued European arrest warrants for them in absentia. Through international cooperation, two of them were located and placed in pre-trial detention in Germany while preparing to carry out similar acts, DIICOT stated in a press release. A third defendant was located in Poland. The network’s operations, which extended beyond Romania, targeted arms production facilities and other sites of military and industrial interest.

Visit – The Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu stated on Tuesday in Chişinău, the capital of the Republic of Moldova, that the two states are cooperating at the highest and closest level seen in recent times. The Prime Minister, who was on his first foreign visit since taking office, added that the support provided by the authorities in Bucharest aims to foster a Republic of Moldova that is more stable, more secure, and better connected to both Romania and the European Union. Furthermore, the Romanian official gave assurances that the special relationship with the Republic of Moldova remains a priority for his government. Prime Minister Niculescu’s agenda included meetings with the Head of State, Maia Sandu; his counterpart, Vasile Tofan; and the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu. The discussions focused primarily on strategic interconnection projects in the transport and energy sectors, as well as Romania’s support for the Republic of Moldova’s European integration.

Investors – On Tuesday, the Foreign Investors Council (FIC) in Romania proposed the launch of a national project for the adoption of the euro, bringing together the Government, the National Bank of Romania (BNR), and other key stakeholders. Within one year, this project should lead to the development of a national roadmap, featuring annual intermediate targets focused on sustainable fiscal consolidation, inflation reduction, and structural and legal convergence. The FIC represents approximately 120 of the largest foreign-owned companies in Romania, which generate a turnover equivalent to about 20% of the country’s GDP. Currently, Romania has no set deadline for adopting the euro. According to BNR reports, the country does not yet meet the Maastricht criteria, which include, among other requirements, limits on inflation, the budget deficit, and long-term interest rates.

Vaccines – The Romanian Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that 370,000 doses of the flu vaccine are available in warehouses across the country and can be ordered by pharmacies to be made available to the public. According to the Ministry, a new shipment of approximately 500,000 doses is expected to arrive in mid-November to support the ongoing flu vaccination campaign. As of October 18, just over 400,000 flu vaccinations had been recorded in the National Electronic Vaccination Registry, the institution stated.

Recycling – In the first nine months of the year, Romanians recycled over four billion pieces of packaging, according to data released on Tuesday by RetuRO, the administrator of Romania’s Deposit-Return System (DRS). In August and September, collection rates reached 93% and 97%, respectively. The last month of summer was the best-performing month of the year in terms of return volume, with nearly 620 million pieces of packaging recycled. From January to September of this year, the collection rate for DRS-eligible packaging reached 85%, approximately 3% higher than the level recorded during the same period in 2023. The highest number of returns, over 535 million, came from Bucharest. (LS)