A drone flew over the airspace of Moldova, passing from Ocnița to Cahul. The unmanned aircraft was also observed in the Hîncești district area, where civilian aircraft pass when taking off from the Republic of Moldova.
According to the data from the Ministry of Defense, the aircraft was in the country’s airspace for about an hour. At 16.05, the drone was seen above the city of Balti, moving towards the Ungheni district.
At 16:19, the unmanned aircraft was detected by the National Army’s airspace surveillance systems in the town of Lăpușna, Hîncești district, at 16:23 – approaching the town of Cărpineni. At 16:26 the drone disappeared from the radars in the area of the village of Mingir.
At 16:55, the drone reappeared on radars in the area of Colibași, in the Cahul district, and at 16:58 – it crossed the village of Cîșlița Prut, subsequently disappearing from the radar in the Giurgiulești area.
The airspace in the center and north of the country was closed from the moment the drone was detected until 16:59, according to the Ministry of Defense.
The diplomacy of Chisinau has condemned the incident, noting that “such incidents represent an inadmissible violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova and pose a risk to the security of our citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the need for strict observance of the airspace of the Republic of Moldova, in accordance with international law norms.”