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- October 16, 202612°
- BIST10011,722-2.89%
- USD49.42+0.06%
- EUR55.41+0.20%
- GOLD4,178.40+0.20%
- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN81,293-1.02%
- October 16, 202612°
Sandu condemns four drones violating Moldova’s airspace
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said four drones entered the country’s airspace on the morning of September 24 and that at least one exploded in the north. Sandu said the Russia-Ukraine war posed a threat to all of Europe and reiterated Moldova’s solidarity with Ukraine.
Moldova experienced a security alert after four drones entered its airspace. President Maia Sandu condemned the violation on the morning of September 24 and said at least one of the drones exploded in the north of the country.
Sandu said the Russia-Ukraine war posed a threat to all of Europe. She said Moldova condemned the war and expressed her country’s solidarity with Ukraine.
Grosu: Violation was illegal
Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu also described the entry of the unmanned aerial vehicles into the country’s airspace as illegal. Grosu argued that the incident was part of Russia’s strategy to raise tensions and spread fear on Europe’s eastern flank.
Grosu said similar incidents had occurred in other countries in the region and called for greater vigilance. He said the Interior and Defense ministries were monitoring developments and noted that Moldovan authorities were working to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent such incidents.
Decision to protect energy facilities
Two days before the incident, Moldova’s National Security Council decided on measures to protect energy infrastructure against drones and cyberattacks. Following the meeting chaired by Sandu, it was announced that facilities important for energy supplies would receive better protection and that operations would be resumed as quickly as possible after potential incidents.
Sandu said Russian drones had also entered the airspace of countries such as the Baltic states, Poland and Romania. Saying that Moldova’s defense capacity was more limited, Sandu said every drone violating the country’s airspace put people at risk and that Moldova would continue developing its defense capabilities.
The Moldovan administration plans to establish alternative warning methods to inform the public during crises until the MDAlert system becomes operational. Sandu said both national resources and external grant funding were being used to develop the defense system.
EU provides €120 million for air defense
Sandu said Moldova’s air defense efforts focused on two basic capabilities: detection and neutralization. She said airspace surveillance systems were being modernized but that existing capabilities were not yet sufficient.
Moldova uses portable air defense missile systems, anti-aircraft machine guns and electronic warfare equipment against drones. These systems are still in use, but their deployment is limited to protecting critical infrastructure that maintains essential public services.
Sandu said the Moldovan army was investing in expanding the coverage of its air defense systems. She said the €120 million grant provided by the European Union would be used to purchase a medium-range air defense system and a modern system for detecting and tracking aerial targets.
Sandu said Moldova had strengthened information sharing with neighboring countries. She said the country was working with partners to supplement data from national surveillance systems and develop more modern, effective and lower-cost solutions against drones.
39 violations since the start of 2026
According to data Sandu provided, 39 airspace violations have been recorded in Moldova since the beginning of 2026. During the same period in 2025, the figure was recorded as 17.
The latest incidents occurred on September 21. On that date, an unidentified aircraft disappeared near the village of Taban in the Briceni region. Several hours later, another object entered Moldovan airspace near Palanca in the Ștefan Vodă region and later returned to Ukraine.
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