Moldova plans to establish domestic production of drones and air defence equipment, President Maia Sandu and Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu announced on October 8, according to NewsMaker.
Following a closed parliamentary session discussing the new structure of Moldova's Armed Forces, journalists asked Grosu whether the planned production meant that Moldova would manufacture drones for Ukraine. He responded that production would primarily focus on Moldova's own needs.
"First, we need to produce them for ourselves. They can have dual-use applications. They can be used in emergencies by rescue workers and firefighters, as well as in agriculture," Grosu said.
He added that the government is working on legislation that would enable such production.
Sandu confirmed that the government is preparing legislative amendments that would "allow the production of necessary air defence equipment in Moldova." According to the president, the relevant bill is expected to be submitted to parliament soon.
She noted that Moldova currently purchases the necessary equipment abroad but faces long waiting lists due to high demand.
"Moldova is located in a more vulnerable region and therefore needs additional support to provide greater protection for its citizens," Sandu said.
The president also reported that nine Russian drones had violated Moldova's airspace over the past seven days, while more than 20 such incidents were recorded in September — more than during the entire previous year.
Sandu believes these Russian actions are deliberate.
"What are we facing? A war that threatens us from nearby. A hybrid war that never stops. They are doing this deliberately," she said.
Moldovan prosecutors have opened 30 criminal investigations into illegal violations of the country's airspace. So far, none of these cases has resulted in the identification of suspects or formal charges.
According to Moldova's Ministry of Defence, the country's airspace has been illegally violated 84 times since 2022.
These incidents involved Russian- and Iranian-made missiles and drones, including decoy UAVs.
