Moldova probes fallen drone as five breach airspace in Russian raid
Moldovan police cordoned off a crash site near a southern highway on Thursday after finding a downed drone, hours after five Russian drones crossed the country's airspace from Ukraine.
A local resident alerted authorities after spotting the wreckage in an open area along the Chișinău–Basarabeasca highway. Specialized forensic and bomb-disposal teams were deployed to secure the perimeter and determine the origin and payload of the device, the General Police Inspectorate said.
The discovery followed a wave of airspace violations during overnight Russian aerial assaults against targets in neighboring Ukraine. According to the Defense Ministry's Air Operations Service, five unmanned aerial vehicles crossed the Moldovan border in succession between 03:56 and 06:02 local time, some flying over sovereign territory for up to 12 minutes before returning into Ukrainian airspace.
Radar tracking recorded the incursions primarily across the southeastern Ștefan Vodă district, near border crossings including Palanca, Căplani, and Săiți. Two of the drones disappeared from monitoring systems inside Moldovan jurisdiction, including one tracked near Pervomaisk in the country's Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria.
"Unauthorized flights over our airspace occurred following Russian airstrikes on Ukraine," the Defense Ministry said, adding that national authorities continue to monitor airspace security in close coordination with international partners.
Police urged citizens to maintain vigilance, keep a safe distance from any unidentified or suspicious objects, and immediately notify emergency services via the 112 hotline.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
