Moldova’s airspace was temporarily closed for over an hour late Friday night in response to an incursion by two unidentified drones. This incident has drawn condemnation from the country’s pro-European president, who accused Russia of using Moldova as a corridor to launch attacks on civilians in neighboring Ukraine.
The small Eastern European nation, situated between Ukraine and Romania, has faced repeated violations of its airspace since Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine began in February 2022. Recently, Moldova reported the crash of a drone on its territory, adding to the anxiety over six drones that have been observed flying over its land.
According to a statement from the Moldovan defense ministry, the airspace was closed from around 11:00 PM local time, as the drones posed a significant threat to aviation safety. The ministry noted that, although Moldovan radar systems did not detect the drones, their presence was confirmed by Ukrainian border authorities.
Fortunately, no debris or hazardous materials were found within Moldovan territory, as both drones eventually exited the national airspace and entered deeper into Ukraine. However, the incident affected commercial air travel, resulting in two flights being diverted to Romania and another aircraft being temporarily grounded in Chisinau.
In response to this violation, the Moldovan defense ministry issued a strong condemnation, labeling the actions as unlawful and dangerous. They described the drone incursions as “hostile acts of intimidation and destabilization,” jeopardizing not only civilian flights but also lives.
President Maia Sandu took to social media platform X to express her discontent over the incident, referring to it as a “brutal attack.” She criticized the actions as being incompatible with diplomatic discourse and asserted that these drones are part of a larger Russian strategy aimed at harming civilians. Sandu reiterated Moldova’s solidarity with Ukraine and condemned the attacks.
Earlier this week, Moldova’s outrage led to diplomatic action when they summoned the Russian ambassador to express their grievances about the drone crash, handing over a formal protest note. They even displayed the downed drone outside the foreign ministry as a testament to their seriousness regarding the violation of their airspace.
