Combat drone explodes in southern Moldova: Sandu and Tofan call incident consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine
The incident occurred in a forest belt outside the settlement. A fire broke out after the explosion. No casualties were reported.
"The debris found has characteristics similar to components of a guided missile, indicating that it may be a missile drone. To date, there have been no cases in Moldova of identifying an aircraft of this type," law enforcement officers said.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu strongly condemned the violation of Moldova's airspace by the drone, calling the incident a direct consequence of Russia's war.
"It is good that the drone hit a tree, not a house. Unfortunately, the fact that we are outside the war zone does not protect us. There are no casualties, and the fire was quickly extinguished," Moldovan PM Tofan said.
The Moldovan prime minister thanked police officers and emergency services who worked to contain the fire.
He assured that Moldovan authorities would take the necessary measures, but did not specify what they would be.
Police clarified that a drone of this type had entered Moldova's territory for the first time. According to law enforcement officers, the UAV hit a tree and exploded at a height of 2.5 meters, while its debris scattered over a large area and damaged nearby houses.
Background
As reported, on August 9 at about 1:20 p.m., police in Ștefan Vodă received a report of a powerful explosion near the village of Crocmaz.
After the explosion, a fire started at the site. According to preliminary information, fragments of a combat drone were found at the scene.
It is worth adding that the incident became another in a series of cases in which Russian drones violated Moldova's airspace or fell on its territory. In particular, on the night of June 8, Russia launched another aerial attack on Ukraine. Against the backdrop of that attack, one drone entered Moldova and fell near one of the country's settlements.
Also on May 13, during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, a Russian drone crossed the state border of the Republic of Moldova, after which its movement was recorded in several districts of the country.
Moreover, in late May, a Russian Shahed, also known as Geran-2, hit the upper floor of an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați, near the border with Ukraine, seriously damaging an apartment.
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