Moldova says unidentified aircraft flew through its airspace

Moldova’s Border Police said on Saturday that patrols reported several unidentified aircraft flying through the country’s airspace early in the morning.

The police said on Telegram that two aircraft flew through Moldovan airspace along the Olanesti-Cistovodnoe trajectory, near the Moldovan-Ukrainian border.

During the same period, another aircraft was observed over the southeastern village of Caplani, flying from the direction of Crocmaz before exiting Moldovan airspace along the Caplani-Crutoiarovca trajectory toward Ukraine, the police said.

Following joint searches by Moldovan and Ukrainian border authorities, no fragments or signs of an explosion were found on Moldovan territory, the Border Police said.

Ukrainian authorities later reported that an explosion site and unidentified fragments had been found on Ukrainian territory, about 1.2 kilometers from the state border, the Border Police added.

On Friday morning, suspected drone fragments were found in a field near the village of Colonita, in Chinisau municipality, after residents reported a loud bang.

The Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the incident, stressing that “any unauthorized entry into the airspace of the Republic of Moldova is unacceptable and constitutes a serious violation of our country's sovereignty.”

The ministry said the incident was another serious consequence of the Russia-Ukraine war, which it said continues to threaten the security of Moldova and its citizens.

“The effects of Russian attacks on Ukraine do not stop at its borders,” it said.