The Moldovan Ministry of Defense will purchase new aerial detection and drone interception systems using financial support from the EU, a government official announced on Sunday, July 19. According to Infotag, State Secretary of the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Valeriu Mija stated during a press conference that the airspace of the Republic of Moldova has been violated 34 times by drones and ballistic missiles since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The procurement is supported by a €120 million ($137 million) assistance package from the European Peace Facility, which the EU Council approved on July 13. Mija noted that Chisinau is also cooperating with NATO to secure assistance under the Defense and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) initiative to specifically counter unmanned aerial vehicles. “Interceptors launched against strike aircraft belong to one type, and drone interceptors belong to another technology,” Mija explained. He highlighted that Moldova faces a “strategic depth space” challenge, which complicates rapid intervention during airspace violations. Military specialists must quickly calculate the potential fallout trajectory of intercepted devices carrying explosives to mitigate risks to the civilian population on the ground. Mija emphasized that this defense modernization, backed by the EU and NATO, extends beyond the Defense Ministry, impacting the operational readiness of the Interior Ministry, border police, and state cybersecurity agencies.