Russian drones breach Moldovan airspace, debris falls in four districts

Five uncrewed aerial vehicles entered Moldovan airspace between 07:45 and 08:00 local time on Saturday during a Russian assault on neighbouring Ukraine, Moldova's defence ministry said. Drone wreckage and explosions were reported in the Căușeni, Ștefan Vodă, Hîncești and Anenii Noi districts, near the border with Ukraine. No casualties were reported.

Police in Căușeni were alerted to an explosion outside the town at about 07:50, where thick smoke was seen rising, and officers found drone fragments at the scene, near the village of Constantinovca. Further wreckage was found near Dubovca and Hîncești, and in an area between the villages of Delacău and Puhăceni in Anenii Noi district.

Near the village of Crocmaz, in Ștefan Vodă district, a drone exploded inside a vineyard next to an agricultural facility, Moldovan police said. The blast started a vegetation fire and broke windows at the facility, but caused no injuries.

Moldova's air operations service said it was continuing to monitor the country's airspace, working with other authorities and international partners. Police were still documenting the incidents on Saturday and had not yet determined the type or origin of the drones.

President Maia Sandu condemned what she called Russia's "massive attacks" on Ukraine overnight and the violation of Moldovan airspace, writing on Facebook that five drones and missiles had crossed into Moldovan airspace within 15 minutes and exploded near settlements in four districts. She urged residents not to approach any fragments or suspicious objects and to call the emergency number, 112.

The incursion follows a string of airspace violations in Moldova tied to Russia's war in Ukraine, including a drone that exploded near the Transnistrian city of Bender earlier in the week and a bomb threat that forced a brief evacuation of Chișinău International Airport on Friday.