Russian missile fragment hits Moldovan border post, injuring guard
A shell believed to come from Russia's attack on Ukraine struck near Moldova's Palanca crossing on Monday, lightly injuring a border guard, officials say.
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A piece of ordnance, believed to have come from Russia's attack on Ukraine, struck the ground near Moldova's Palanca border crossing on Monday morning and ricocheted into a parked bus, lightly injuring a Moldovan border guard, the country's Border Police said, according to Current Time and RMF24. The incident happened at about 9:30am local time, RMF24 reported.
The projectile hit a bus parked near the barrier at the crossing, which sits opposite Ukraine's Maiaky-Udobne checkpoint, Current Time reported. Ukrainian media described the vehicle as a scheduled passenger bus, the outlet said. The border guard suffered minor injuries, and the Palanca crossing was suspended afterwards, Current Time reported.
Moldova's police temporarily closed the road toward Palanca from the junction of routes R-30 and R-31 in the Ștefan Vodă district at 10:50am local time, RMF24 reported, citing the General Police Inspectorate. The restriction will remain in place until investigators finish documenting and establishing the circumstances of the incident, the force said.
Moldova's defence ministry said the incident happened between 7:45am and 8am local time, during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine, and that explosions were heard near several villages in the country's east, close to Ukraine's Odesa region, as well as in central Moldova, RMF24 reported. No casualties were mentioned in that earlier ministry statement.
It is not the first such incident in recent days. Five Russian aerial weapons, including Banderol missiles and drones, entered Moldovan airspace on Saturday, President Maia Sandu said on social media platform X, according to RMF24. "Moscow is endangering the lives of people in Europe and must be stopped," she said.
What we know
- Official · Moldova's Border Police A piece of ordnance struck near Moldova's Palanca border crossing on Monday morning, lightly injuring a Moldovan border guard, Moldova's Border Police say.
- 2+ outlets · RMF24, Current Time The projectile ricocheted into a parked bus near the crossing; the Palanca checkpoint was suspended afterwards.
- 1 outlet · RMF24 The road toward Palanca was temporarily closed while police investigate, RMF24 reports.
- Official · Moldova's defence ministry The incident came during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine, Moldova's defence ministry says.
- Official · President Maia Sandu Five Russian missiles and drones entered Moldovan airspace on Saturday, President Maia Sandu said.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed The exact origin of the projectile (Russian missile, drone fragment or debris) has not been officially specified beyond Moldovan officials attributing it to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Moldova is not a NATO member, but its territory borders Ukraine's Odesa region and has repeatedly been hit by stray or wayward Russian weapons during strikes on Ukrainian border crossings. Russian strikes on a border crossing on the Ukrainian side killed two people and injured three in early September, Current Time reported.
Moldova's defence ministry says Russian missiles and drones have violated the country's airspace 81 times since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, including 45 times so far this year, Sandu said, with eight of those violations in the past week alone, according to RMF24.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Where did the incident happen?
- Near Moldova's Palanca border crossing with Ukraine, at around 9:30am local time on Monday.
- Was anyone seriously hurt?
- No. A Moldovan border guard suffered minor injuries, officials said.
- Has this happened before?
- Yes. Moldova's defence ministry says Russian missiles and drones have violated its airspace 81 times since February 2022, including several incidents in the past week.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.