Drone flights from Ukraine briefly cross Moldova’s airspace
Moldova’s Air Operations Service recorded two unauthorised drone flights from Ukraine through the country’s airspace on Saturday morning. Both drones entered from the Ukrainian side and left Moldovan territory within minutes. The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Moldova confirmed both incidents.
The first drone was detected at 10:33. According to the Air Operations Service, it entered Moldova’s airspace from the direction of the Ukrainian settlement of Maiaky, crossed the state border near the village of Palanca and moved around 500 metres into the country. One minute later, at 10:34, the drone returned to Ukraine’s airspace along the same route.
The border crossing was confirmed both by representatives of Moldova’s Border Police and by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
“In the context of the Russian Federation’s massive attacks on Ukraine this morning, including in Odesa Region, the Air Operations Service detected an unauthorised drone flight which briefly crossed the airspace of the Republic of Moldova near the settlement of Palanca,” the Moldovan defence ministry said in an official statement.
Second drone crosses near Transnistrian region
The second incident took place less than an hour later. At 11:09, another unmanned aerial vehicle entered Moldova’sairspace from Ukraine.
According to the Air Operations Service, the drone moved near the village of Cioburciu in the direction of Pervomaiskin the Transnistrian region. At 11:19, it left Moldova’s airspace near the Ukrainian settlement of Kuchurhan and continued towards Stepove, Ukraine.
“State institutions continue to monitor the situation in coordination with foreign partners,” the Ministry of Defence noted.
Both incidents occurred against the background of morning reports by Ukrainian Telegram channels about Russian drones in Moldova’s airspace. However, the data confirmed by the Moldovan military authorities indicate that the drones entered specifically from the Ukrainian side and returned to Ukrainian territory.
Radar questions resurface after drone flights from Ukraine
Moldova’s national institutions say they are continuing to monitor the country’s airspace “for the safety of citizens”. At the same time, the defence ministry’s own statement emphasised that actions were being coordinated with “foreign partners”.
The capacity of Moldova’s national air defence system has been discussed in the public sphere for several years. In particular, social media users and Telegram channels have questioned why the country’s radars do not appear to allow an independent response without outside involvement.
“Are we the only ones wondering why we need radars at all if we still cannot act until our partners give us a push?” one message circulated in Moldovan Telegram channels after the incidents said.
The two drone flights from Ukraine have once again raised uncomfortable questions about how much control Moldovareally has over its own airspace, and how dependent the country remains on external partners even in matters of immediate national security.
