Drone briefly crosses into Moldova from Ukraine before returning

A drone, identified as similar to a Gheran-3 (Shahed-238) model, made an unauthorized incursion into the Republic of Moldova's airspace overnight. The aircraft entered Moldovan territory from Ukraine and exited approximately one minute later, heading back towards Ukraine.

The flight path was tracked by the National Army's Air Operations Service. The drone was detected at 11:41 PM on Monday, entering Moldovan airspace near the village of Priozerna, coming from Stepanivka in Ukraine's Odesa region. By 11:42 PM, it had left Moldovan territory, heading north towards Stepanivka.

Authorities in Chisinau determined the aircraft's characteristics matched those of a Gheran-3 (Shahed-238) drone. This incident occurred in the context of ongoing Russian airstrikes targeting the Odesa region.

Moldova has repeatedly condemned unauthorized drone flights over its territory, particularly those involved in attacks related to the conflict in Ukraine. This event follows a recent incident on Sunday afternoon where a powerful explosion occurred in Crocmaz, Ștefan Vodă district, resulting in a vegetation fire and the discovery of drone fragments. The Romanian Ambassador to Moldova, Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, discussed the implications of that explosion with Moldova's Interior Minister, Daniella Misail-Nichitin, expressing shared concerns about the escalating risks posed by the conflict to citizens on both sides of the Prut River.

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The unjust war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine generates aggressive actions that increasingly endanger citizens on both banks of the Prut.