Moldova condemns drone airspace violations after blast near Chisinau

September 19, 2026 at 09:33 PM2 min

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Moldova's foreign ministry condemned drone incursions into its airspace on September 19, calling them unacceptable. The statement followed an overnight explosion near the village of Colonita, where drone debris was found. Several unidentified aircraft crossed Moldovan airspace near the Ukrainian border the same day.

Key Facts

Moldova's foreign ministry said the September 18 explosion near Colonita was 'another serious consequence of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine'.
At least three unidentified aircraft crossed Moldovan airspace on September 19, according to border police.
Ukrainian authorities reported an unknown object fell 1.2 km from the border near Troitske, Odesa region, and caught fire.
On September 10, Moldova closed its airspace after a Russian drone intrusion, delaying the departure of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's plane from Chisinau.

Drone Incursions

Moldova's foreign ministry condemned the violation of its airspace by drones on September 19, calling such actions unacceptable. The statement followed an explosion near the village of Colonita on the night of September 18, after which drone debris was found. Border police reported that several unidentified aircraft were spotted near the Ukrainian border overnight and in the morning of September 19. At least three of these aircraft crossed Moldovan airspace, according to the border police.

Official Response

The Moldovan foreign ministry stated that the incident was 'another serious consequence of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine'. It added that the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine are not limited to the neighboring country's borders. Moldovan authorities have not commented on the origin of the exploded drone. A photograph of debris published by border police showed a Russian-language inscription 'Не браться'.

Border Incidents

Moldovan and Ukrainian border guards conducted a joint inspection of the border area on September 19. No debris or traces of possible aircraft crashes were found on Moldovan territory. Ukrainian authorities later informed Moldova that an unknown object fell 1.2 km from the border near Troitske, Odesa region, and caught fire. On September 10, Moldova closed its airspace after a Russian drone intrusion, which delayed the departure of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's plane from Chisinau.