Drone Enters Moldova Following Moldova’s Decision to Recall Ambassador From Russia

On the night of August 10, during a Russian aerial attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region, a drone violated Moldova’s airspace before returning to Ukraine.

The Moldovan Ministry of Defense reported the incident.

According to Moldova’s Army Air Operations Service, at 11:41 p.m., radars detected an object traveling from the direction of Stepankivka, Ukraine. The object entered Moldovan airspace over the village of Priozerne in the Slobozia district.

The drone later left Moldovan airspace and flew back into Ukraine north of Stepankivka.

Moldova’s Defense Ministry noted that, based on its characteristics, the drone appeared to be a jet-powered Geran-3.

At approximately the same time, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that a Russian jet-powered drone was flying over the Odesa region near settlements close to the border with Moldova.

The airspace violation occurred after Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it was recalling its ambassador from Russia following the crash and explosion of a drone on Moldovan territory.

The drone exploded on August 9 near the settlement of Crocmaz in Moldova’s Ștefan Vodă District.

Experts determined that the explosion occurred at an altitude of approximately 2.5 meters after the aircraft collided with a tree in a forest belt.

The debris from the aircraft damaged several properties in the settlement. No one was injured.

According to preliminary findings, the recovered fragments have characteristics indicating that the aircraft may have been a small Banderol missile.

In July, the EU Council approved an assistance package for Moldova, under which the country will receive €120 million for air defense amid incursions by Russian drones.