A drone flew for 18 minutes over Moldova before NATO shot it down in Romania
On the morning of Sunday, August 16, the airspace surveillance systems of the National Army detected an unauthorized aircraft entering the territory of the Republic of Moldova. This incident occurred in the context of the air strikes launched by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. The aircraft flew over Moldovan airspace for 18 minutes.
Specifically, the airspace surveillance systems of the National Army detected, at 04:31, a Shahed 138 type flying object, also known as Geran 2.
The drone entered the airspace of the Republic of Moldova coming from the Ukrainian town of Cotlovina, Reni region, and flew over the airspace above the village of Etulia in the Gagauz autonomy, the Ministry of Defense reports.
"*At 04:40, the Border Police patrol of the Republic of Moldova heard the sound of an aircraft, without visually observing it, in the direction of the localities of Cișmichioi (RM) - Dolinskoe (UA).
The object left the airspace at 04:49 through the locality of Slobozia Mare, Cahul district, towards the locality of Șivita, Galați, Romania"*, reads the Ministry of Defense press release.
Drone shot down by F-18 in Romania
The radars of the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) in Bucharest detected the drone at 04:44, at a distance of about 24 kilometers north of Galați.
An F-18 aircraft belonging to the Spanish Air Force, deployed on an air police mission at the 57th Air Base "Mihail Kogălniceanu", obtained intervention approval and, at 05:01, safely neutralized the aircraft, and the remains scattered in an uninhabited region between the localities of Băleni and Cudalbi.
The emergency situation in Galați county was declared ended by lifting the alert at 05:20, according to the MApN.
The incident represents the fourth direct destruction of a drone on Romanian territory, after, in July this year, the Romanian Air Force's F-16 aircraft shot down three other targets in Buzău and Tulcea counties.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the airspace of the Republic of Moldova has been illegally overflown by 64 missiles and drones, of which at least 12 were laden with explosives. Some of these devices crashed on Moldovan territory without causing any casualties.
The most recent incident occurred on August 9, when an aircraft fell and exploded near the village of Crocmaz in the Ștefan Vodă district.
Fragments recovered from the site indicate the presence of guided missile components, suggesting the use of a "drone-missile," marking a first for the Republic of Moldova, according to law enforcement officials.
The aircraft struck a tree and exploded 2.5 meters above the ground, damaging several homes in the area; however, no injuries were reported.
In response to this incident, Lilian Darii, the Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Russian Federation, was temporarily recalled to Chișinău for consultations.
