Moldova has accused Russia of breaching its air space after a Russian drone was discovered on its soil on January 17.
The Gerbera-type drone was found by a hunter in Nucareni village, in central Telenesti District, 91 kilometres north of capital Chisinau and 54 kilometres from Moldova-Ukraine border on Saturday. Moldovan National Police shared photo of the downed drone on Telegram app, without revealing when the drone was shot down. The police said the drone was not armed with explosives.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry accused the Kremlin of endangering the security of its citizens. “The Republic of Moldova condemns such violations and condemns the Russian Federation’s aggressive war against Ukraine, which also endangers the security of our citizens. In light of these risks, the Republic of Moldova will continue to invest in peace and security to ensure the protection of the country and the safety of its citizens,” the ministry stated.
The incident on Saturday was not the first instant of the Kremlin breaching Moldova’s air space. On November 29, Moldova closed its airspace after Russian drones entered the country’s airspace. The move affected operations at three airports.
The recent drone incursion by Russia follows barrage of confirmed and suspected Russian drone incursions in Europe in late 2025. A number of European countries, including Poland, Estonia, Romania, Denmark and Norway reported drone sightings over their territory with Russia being the main suspect in these incidents. The most serious drone incident took place in September when multiple Russian drones breached Poland’s airspace, prompting Warsaw to formally invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty, triggering alliance consultations. Shortly afterward, Romania reported a Russian drone briefly entering its airspace.
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