On the evening of February 16, two drones violated Moldova's airspace during a large-scale Russian drone strike on the Odesa region, according to the government’s Telegram channel, Prima Sursă.
The drones entered Moldova's southern airspace, with the first detected at 10:45 PM, traveling from Taraklia to Petrovska. Three minutes later, the second drone was spotted moving from Burlaceni to Vinogradivka.
Moldovan authorities later confirmed that both drones left the country's airspace. The first drone passed near Etulia at 10:54 PM, and the second near Căușeni at 11:20 PM.
Previously, drone wreckage had been found multiple times in Moldova. The latest incident occurred on February 13, when debris from a drone that fell near the village of Chumai in the Taraklia district was discovered, along with another that exploded between Căușeni and the village of Valya-Perzhi. Later, more wreckage was found in the Taraklia region, identified as Russian drones by local authorities.
In response, the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov to demand an explanation and protest the violation of its airspace. The ambassador was shown debris from drones marked Geran-2, but he suggested that the drone might not be Russian and that the investigation should be completed. In response to the incident, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the closure of the Russian Cultural Center in Chișinău.
- Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denied the reports of Russian drone crashes in Moldova, stating that Russian drones were used exclusively for military objectives related to Ukraine's infrastructure.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also commented on the drone incident, emphasizing that allies must support Moldova in the face of Russia's destabilizing actions.