Moldova restricts northern airspace over unauthorized drone incident
A drone recently flew over Moldovan airspace without authorization. Authorities have activated monitoring systems and implemented temporary measures to restrict air traffic in the northern part of the country.
On Wednesday, May 13, at 4:00 p.m., a drone crossed the state border into the Republic of Moldova from Moghiliov Podolsk in Vinnitsa, heading towards the village of Sauca in the Ocnita district. This information was provided by the Air Operations Service of the National Army, as stated by the Ministry of Defense.
Residents of the municipality of Bălți reported seeing the unmanned aerial vehicle shortly after it entered Moldova’s airspace.
At 4:05 p.m., the drone was observed over the city of Bălți, continuing its flight path towards the Ungheni district.
By 4:19 p.m., the National Army's airspace surveillance systems had detected the drone in the locality of Lăpușna, Hâncești district, and at 4:23 p.m., it was spotted near the locality of Cărpineni, still heading south.
In response to this incident, authorities decided to temporarily restrict air traffic in the northern part of the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) stated that such incidents are an unacceptable violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova and pose a risk to citizens' safety.
“The MAE firmly condemns the unauthorized overflight of the Republic of Moldova's airspace by an unmanned aerial vehicle. We reiterate the need to strictly respect Moldova’s airspace in accordance with international law,” the MAE emphasized in its press release.
On the morning of May 8 at 09:35, an unauthorized drone entered the airspace of the Republic of Moldova. The Air Operations Service of the National Army first detected it in the Valea Perjei locality in the Taraclia district, prompting the authorities to close the country's airspace.
Since the onset of the war initiated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, there have been numerous illegal overflights of Moldova's airspace, with each incident condemned by the authorities in Chișinău.
Some of the drones have crashed in fields, gardens, or on rooftops, with some carrying explosives. While some drones exploded upon impact, others were detonated safely by law enforcement officers.
