Moldova remains vulnerable to airspace violations by Russian drones – MoD
Photo: Moldova's Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi stated the threat posed by Russian drones (Getty Images)
Moldova faces significant challenges related to Russian drones violating its airspace. While a direct military threat from Russia is currently unlikely, these incidents pose a danger to citizens and violate international norms, states the country's Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi in an interview with IPN.
"Unfortunately, the Republic of Moldova remains vulnerable to incidents related to airspace violations. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, we have experienced countless such incidents, which, first and foremost, violate international rules but, most importantly, put the citizens of the Republic of Moldova at risk," he said.
The minister explained that such incidents could be both intentional and the result of Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure near the borders with Moldova. According to him, these incidents will continue as long as Russia's war against Ukraine persists.
He added that the number of such attacks has recently increased.
"Critical infrastructure (of Ukraine – ed.) is also located near the border with the Republic of Moldova, including in the Danube Delta. Therefore, there is an increased number of attacks in this region. As a result, some drones, encountering obstacles, deviate from their targets and reach neighboring countries — Moldova, Romania," Nosatîi explained.
In addition, he stated that Russia continues to wage a hybrid war by spreading disinformation and fake news aimed at destabilizing Moldova. According to him, this is Russia's attempt to disrupt reforms to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.
"This is a Kremlin-organized campaign against state security. In the Kremlin, they want the Republic of Moldova to have no defense and security structures, to remain weak and unprepared for challenges, and to fail to ensure the most important thing for its citizens — a safe and peaceful environment. All of this is needed in the context of geopolitical changes and tensions in the region, in this case, the war in Ukraine," the minister emphasized.
He also added that the direct threat of a Russian military invasion of Moldova is currently assessed as low.
It is worth noting that a drone recently fell in Moldova.
Last month, Moldova and the United Kingdom signed a defense pact to counter Russian aggression.
