Drone crosses into Moldova for third time in a day, ministry says
A drone entered Moldovan airspace for the third time on Wednesday, briefly closing airspace over the centre of the country, the defence ministry said.
A drone crossed into Moldova from the direction of Ukraine for the third time in a day on Wednesday evening, Moldova's defence ministry said, according to Ukrainska Pravda. The object entered Moldovan airspace at 20:45 near the village of Sherenti in Ukraine's Vinnytsia region, heading towards Slobozia-Rashkov in the Transnistria area, before turning towards the village of Tsypova.
It disappeared from monitoring systems near the village of Braneshti in Orhei district. Moldova briefly closed airspace over the centre of the country because of the drone, reopening it at 21:09, the ministry said.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, a separate drone flew through Moldovan airspace before falling and exploding outside the village of Hirbovets in Anenii Noi district. Police said it exploded at an altitude of 40 metres after hitting a communications line pole.
A third drone also flew over Moldova the same day, prompting authorities to close airspace in the northern and central parts of the country. Defence minister Anatolie Nosatîi said the drone was jet-propelled.
What we know
- A drone crossed from the direction of Ukraine into Moldova at 20:45 on Wednesday, the third such incursion that day, Moldova's defence ministry said, per Ukrainska Pravda.
- The object crossed near Sherenti in Ukraine's Vinnytsia region, heading towards Slobozia-Rashkov in Transnistria, then Tsypova, before disappearing from monitoring near Braneshti in Orhei district.
- Moldova briefly closed central airspace because of the drone, reopening it at 21:09.
- A separate drone fell and exploded near Hirbovets village in Anenii Noi district on Wednesday morning, at an altitude of 40 metres after hitting a communications pole, police said.
- A third drone flew over Moldova the same day, prompting airspace closures in the north and centre of the country.
- Defence minister Anatolie Nosatîi said one of the drones was jet-propelled.
Not yet confirmed
- The origin and intent of Wednesday's drones has not been detailed beyond the crossing point reported.
Why it matters for Europe
Wednesday's incidents were the third and fourth drone incursions Moldova reported in a single day, following the one that fell and exploded near Hirbovets in the morning. Moldovan authorities repeatedly closed and reopened airspace over different parts of the country as they tracked the objects.
Sources
Reported by 1 reports from 1 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Ukrainska Pravda: Безпілотник втретє за день порушив повітряний простір Молдови
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Launch offer: free for members until 31 October 2026
Questions and answers
- How many drones entered Moldovan airspace on Wednesday?
- At least three incidents were reported, including one that fell and exploded near Hirbovets and another that crossed from Ukraine into central Moldova that evening.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No injuries have been reported from the drone incursions or the explosion near Hirbovets.
- What did officials say about the drones?
- Defence minister Anatolie Nosatîi said one was jet-propelled; the defence ministry said it tracked the objects and briefly closed airspace as a precaution.
This article was written with AI assistance from 1 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.