A Russian Shahed-type drone entered Moldovan airspace during a nighttime attack on Ukraine and exploded after crashing near a village close to the country’s border, Moldovan authorities said.
The incident happened overnight between July 12 and 13 near the village of Kopanka in the Căușeni district, around 30 kilometers from Moldova’s border with Ukraine. The General Police Inspectorate said emergency services received a report at 1:03 a.m. about an object resembling a drone found on the outskirts of the settlement.
Police officers and firefighters were dispatched to the scene, where the object exploded after falling. Authorities said no injuries were reported. The area was secured while law enforcement began an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Moldovan Ministry of Defense later confirmed that the object was a Russian Shahed (Geran-2) loitering munition that had entered Moldovan airspace during a Russian strike against targets in Ukraine’s Odesa region.
The ministry described the incident as a serious breach of Moldova’s airspace, warning that Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to create security risks beyond the battlefield.
