Drone Explodes in Moldova After Violating Airspace During Russian Attack on Ukraine

On the morning of September 30, a drone that violated Moldova’s airspace exploded during Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine.

According to the Moldovan police, the incident occurred at around 5:40 a.m. near the village of Gîrbovăț in the Anenii Noi district.

Preliminary reports indicate that no one was injured in the explosion.

The Moldovan National Army said that monitoring systems detected the drone flying through the country’s airspace.

Police officers and military personnel were dispatched to the crash site.

“The area is being secured, and specialized police units are working at the scene. Experts will examine the object and establish all the circumstances of the incident,” police reported.

Authorities urged citizens not to approach or touch any suspicious fragments or objects and to avoid the area until the inspections are completed.

On September 18, residents of the village of Colonita, located less than 2 km from Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, reported hearing a powerful explosion.

Police later found the wreckage of a jet-powered drone bearing Russian markings.

Experts from the police bomb disposal unit and specialized services determined that the recovered components belonged to an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a turbojet engine.

Authorities found additional drone parts, including the engine, within about 100 meters of the explosion’s epicenter.

Last month, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had recalled its ambassador from Russia after a drone crashed and exploded on Moldovan territory. The drone exploded on August 9 near the village of Crocmaz in Moldova’s Ștefan Vodă district.