Three Banderol Missiles and Two UAVs Entered Moldova and Exploded: Damage Reported

On the morning of October 3, Banderol missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles entered Moldova and subsequently exploded near a number of settlements in several districts.

This was reported by Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

“Five Russian air attack vehicles, including Banderol missiles and drones, violated our airspace and exploded on our territory,” she wrote on social media platform X.

Moldova’s national airspace monitoring system recorded the passage of five unmanned aerial vehicles between 7:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.

Subsequently, Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi reported that there were three missiles and two drones, according to Newsmaker.

The Ministry of Defense of Moldova clarified that the incursion of Banderol missiles and UAVs occurred amid Russia’s massive strikes on Ukraine.

According to monitoring system data, explosions were heard near the towns of Krokmaz, Ștefan Vodă, Delacău, Puhăceni, Anenii Noi, Bozieni, and Hîncești, as well as near Dubovka, Konstantinovka, and Căușeni. Police officers and National Army soldiers were dispatched to the scene to investigate the incident.

The police added that reports of explosion sounds had been coming in since the morning from residents of the Kaushan, Ștefan Vodă, Anenii Noi, and Hîncești districts. On the outskirts of Căușeni, law enforcement officers discovered debris from a drone, from which smoke was rising.

Debris from drones was also found near Dubrovka in the Hîncești district, between the villages of Delacău and Puhăceni.

In Krokmaz, a drone crashed into a vineyard, causing dry vegetation to catch fire, and shattered the windows of a nearby house.

According to police, there were no casualties as a result of the incidents. Law enforcement officials are currently documenting all cases and determining the circumstances of the events.

S8000 Banderol

The missile was developed by the Russian company Kronstadt. Its maximum speed is 620–650 km/h, and its cruising speed is 520–560 km/h. Banderol is equipped with an OFBCh-150 high-explosive fragmentation warhead with a total mass of 114.3 kg, of which 49.5 kg is explosive material.