Russian Shahed drone enters Moldova, country closes its airspace
Photo: Shahed kamikaze drone (Getty Images)
A Shahed-type attack drone entered Moldova’s airspace on Tuesday, September 8. Due to the threat, the country’s authorities temporarily closed part of its airspace, according to Moldova’s Ministry of Defense.
As Moldova’s Defense Ministry reported, the drone crossed the border from Ukraine at around 4:20 p.m. local time near the village of Slavianorebca and was heading toward Bender.
"The unmanned aerial vehicle was monitored by the National Army’s air surveillance systems while in the country’s airspace. At 4:32 p.m., it was heading toward the city of Chisinau, and at 4:36 p.m., it was detected near the village of Bălănești," the statement said.
Airspace restrictions
For safety reasons, at 4:30 p.m., Moldova temporarily closed the central part of its airspace to aviation. After the drone left the country’s airspace, the restrictions were immediately lifted and civilian air traffic resumed.
The ministry added that, in cooperation with international partners, it continues to monitor the skies to ensure public safety.
Earlier, during another Russian attack on Ukraine, one of the aerial objects was detected in Moldova’s airspace. It flew through the Transnistrian region.
On the night of August 27, five drones entered Moldova following a Russian strike on Ukraine. The drones crossed the Moldovan border after the massive attack on Ukrainian territory had ended.
In addition, on August 17, a Russian Banderol-type drone entered Moldova, followed by an explosion. The incident occurred near the village of Talmaza in the Ștefan Vodă district. A fire broke out after the drone crashed.
