Country overview
Moldova: incident register since 2022
Moldova is not a NATO member. It is included because of incidents examined in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The records distinguish military-tracked flights, discoveries of objects and restrictions on airspace. The direction of entry alone does not identify an operator, and an object disappearing from radar does not confirm a crash.
What the register covers
65 records. 46 editorially verified. 2022-10-31 - 2026-11-04.
These are Borderline records, not a count of all incidents or Russian attacks. A record may cover several objects or locations. The connection to the war and responsibility are described separately in each record.
airspace incident / object found / infrastructure disruption / airport disruption
Timeline of records
Camenca in Transnistria and Vărăncău in Soroca district
On 4 November at 04:23 local time a drone entered Moldova from the direction of Zahnitkiv in Ukraine’s Odesa region, heading towards Camenca. At 04:25 it left near Vărăncău towards Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region. Moldova’s Air Operations Centre recorded one flight during Russian…
unresolved / Record verified
Plopi, Bănești and vicinity of Țibirica, Moldova
On 31 October 2026 at 16:24 local time, the defence ministry detected an unauthorised drone flight from the direction of Semionovka in Ukraine’s Odesa region towards Plopi, Rîbnița district, in the Transnistrian segment. It was subsequently observed near Bănești. Northern…
unresolved / Record verified
Sobor, Dondușeni, Edineț district and Viișoara, Moldova
On 31 October 2026 at 17:50 local time, a second drone entered Moldova from the direction of Mihailovka in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region towards Sobor, Soroca district. The defence ministry tracked it near Dondușeni and, at 18:03, near Goleni, Gordinești and Burlănești in Edineț…
unresolved / Record verified
Chiștelnița, Telenești district; preceding flight over Moldova
On 23 October 2026, a UAV violated Moldovan airspace and crashed at Chiștelnița in Telenești district. The defence ministry reported detecting entry at 13:59 from the direction of Verhnia Slobidka in Ukraine towards Frunzeuca on the Transnistrian sector. Tracking was lost at…
unresolved / Record verified
Tudora, Moldovan airspace, 03:37-03:38
Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an airspace violation on 2026-10-16 at 03:37-03:38 local time. Entry from Starocazacie in Ukraine through Tudora, return along the same path. The object’s model and operator are undetermined. Exact coordinates are undetermined; the entry has…
unresolved / Record verified
Otaci - Hădărăuți, Moldovan airspace, 03:46-03:48
Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an airspace violation on 2026-10-16 at 03:46-03:48 local time. Entry from Mohyliv-Podilskyi in Ukraine through Otaci, exit through the Hădărăuți area in Ocnița. The object’s model and operator are undetermined. Exact coordinates are…
unresolved / Record verified
Căplani - Olănești, Moldovan airspace, 05:59-06:00
Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an airspace violation on 2026-10-16 at 05:59-06:00 local time. Entry from Starocazacie in Ukraine through Căplani, exit through Olănești. According to the ministry, the same UAV re-entered at 06:09; the two entries describe separate…
unresolved / Record verified
Purcari - Dnestrovsc, Moldovan airspace, 06:09-06:10
Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an airspace violation on 2026-10-16 at 06:09-06:10 local time. Re-entry through Purcari, exit through Dnestrovsc in the Transnistrian sector towards Gradenițî in Ukraine. According to the ministry, this is the same UAV as in the 05:59-06:00…
unresolved / Record verified
Sobari; field outside Codrenii Noi towards Scăieni, Dondușeni district
On 16 October 2026, Moldova’s defence ministry reported a suspected unauthorised flight at 16:22 near Sobari in Soroca district. Its 17:04 update confirmed that a drone had fallen and exploded in a field outside Codrenii Noi towards Scăieni in Dondușeni district. Police quoted…
unresolved / Record verified
Purcari, Moldovan airspace, 01:43-01:51
Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an airspace violation on 2026-10-15 at 01:43-01:51 local time. Entry from Grădinița in Ukraine through Purcari, exit towards Starokazacie in Ukraine. The object’s model and operator are undetermined. Exact coordinates are undetermined; the…
unresolved / Record verified
Ivanovca, Moldovan airspace, 23:02-23:20
Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an airspace violation on 2026-10-15 at 23:02-23:20 local time. Entry from Timcovo in Odesa region through Ivanovca, exit towards Ukraine in the Bronit/Mohyliv-Podilskyi area. This occurred on the evening of 15 October, although the statement…
unresolved / Record verified
near Geamăna, Anenii Noi district; reports also outside Văratic
On 11 October 2026, Moldova’s defence ministry reported that IGSU had found an object near Geamăna. During the night of 10-11 October, a drone-like sound followed by an explosion was heard outside Geamăna and Văratic. Police technical and bomb-disposal personnel and the…
unresolved / Record verified
Moldova, entry location undetermined; exit towards Limanske
On 7 October 2026, Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an unauthorised aerial-object flight from 08:43 to 08:44 local time. The object left airspace towards Limanske in Ukraine. The statement gives no entry location, type, model or operator. Limanske describes the exit…
unresolved / Record verified
Pervomaisc area; exit towards Limanske
On 7 October 2026, Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed an unauthorised aerial-object flight. It entered national airspace in the Pervomaisc area at 20:04 and left at 20:05 local time towards Limanske in Ukraine. Type, model and operator are undetermined; no crash or damage…
unresolved / Record verified
Palanca-Maiaki-Udobnoe border crossing, near the barrier
At about 09:38 on 5 October 2026, a projectile fell near the Palanca crossing, ricocheted off the ground and struck a bus parked near the barrier. According to preliminary information from Moldova’s Border Police, it damaged the bus and control booth; one officer was lightly…
unresolved / Record verified
outside Căușeni, Căușeni District
On 3 October 2026, an aerial object exploded outside Căușeni. The police chronology gives 07:50 for the explosion and 08:15 for locating the device or debris. Police reported no casualties. This is one of five distinct explosion sites in the morning series. The defence ministry…
unresolved / Record verified
outside Crocmaz, Ștefan Vodă District
On 3 October 2026, an aerial object exploded outside Crocmaz. The police chronology gives 07:53 for the explosion and 08:20 for locating the device or debris. The vineyard explosion caused a vegetation fire and damaged windows in an agricultural brigade building. Police…
unresolved / Record verified
outside Puhăceni, Anenii Noi District
On 3 October 2026, an aerial object exploded outside Puhăceni. The police chronology gives 08:00 for the explosion and 08:30 for locating the device or debris. Police reported no casualties. This is one of five distinct explosion sites in the morning series. The defence…
unresolved / Record verified
outside Dubovca, Hîncești District
On 3 October 2026, an aerial object exploded outside Dubovca. The police chronology gives 08:03 for the explosion and 08:40 for locating the device or debris. Police reported no casualties. This is one of five distinct explosion sites in the morning series. The defence ministry…
unresolved / Record verified
outside Constantinovca, Căușeni District
On 3 October 2026, an aerial object exploded outside Constantinovca. The police chronology gives 08:24 for the explosion and 09:15 for locating the device or debris. A vegetation fire broke out after the explosion. Police reported no casualties. This is one of five distinct…
unresolved / Record verified
Palanca, Ștefan Vodă District
On 3 October 2026, Moldova’s defence ministry confirmed a separate, sixth unauthorised flight. The object entered national airspace at 08:04 from the direction of Udobnoe in Ukraine’s Odesa region towards Palanca and left at 08:05 towards Bileaivka in Ukraine. Type and model…
unresolved / Record verified
outside Hîrbovăț village, Anenii Noi District
On the morning of 30 September 2026, a drone flew over Moldova and exploded outside Hîrbovăț village. Police received a report of low flight over Bender around 05:40, while military monitoring detected the drone around 05:43; these times do not establish when it exploded.…
unresolved / Record verified
Lunga, Dubăsari District / near Arionești, Dondușeni District
At 10:26 on 30 September 2026, an unauthorised drone flight was detected near Lunga. The defence ministry closed the North and Centre airspace zones. A later update said the drone was heading north; the Centre zone reopened earlier, and the North also reopened after the object…
unresolved / Record verified
Slobozia-Rașcov / Brănești, Orhei District; Ivancea-Brănești road
At 20:45 on 30 September 2026, the day’s third unauthorised flight was detected. The object crossed from the direction of Șerșenți in Ukraine toward Slobozia-Rașcov, then headed toward Țipova and disappeared from monitoring near Brănești. The Centre airspace zone was…
unresolved / Record verified
Transnistrian segment: Novocotovsc-Pervomaisc
On 26 September 2026, Moldova’s National Army confirmed an unauthorised flight from 11:16 to 11:18. The object entered from the direction of Stepanivka in Ukraine’s Odesa region towards Novocotovsc in the Transnistrian segment. It left Moldovan airspace from the direction of…
unresolved / Record verified
near Volintiri, Ștefan Vodă District
On the evening of 26 September 2026, at about 20:25, border police responding to residents’ reports found fragments of an unmanned aircraft in a field near Volintiri. The site was secured. News.ro reports the border police’s statement that the circumstances were under…
unresolved / Record verified
northern Moldova: Vasilcău, Larga, Volovița, Socola; crash near Cernița
On 24 September 2026, during Russian attacks on Ukraine, Moldova’s Defence Ministry described four morning airspace-incursion episodes: at 05:21 towards Vasilcău, 06:14-06:16 through Larga, 06:35 through Volovița and 06:58 towards Socola. The northern airspace sector was…
unresolved / Record verified
near Cotiujeni, Briceni District, about 1.7 km from the border
At about 16:50 on 24 September 2026, border police found drone debris near Cotiujeni, about 1.7 km from the border. Police findings published on 25 September indicate an explosion after impact with trees, about 10 m above ground, and tree damage within a radius of about 25 m. A…
unresolved / Record verified
northern Moldova: Dondușeni-Briceni-Tabani; a separate flight near Palanca
On 21 September 2026, two violations of Moldovan airspace were confirmed by the foreign ministry. Overnight, an unidentified object was tracked in the north, in the Dondușeni and Briceni areas; contact was lost around 00:44 near Tabani. The northern airspace sector was closed…
unresolved / Record verified
southwest of Colonița, towards Tohatin
On 18 September 2026, at around 04:20, residents heard an explosion southwest of Colonița, towards Tohatin. Emergency services found debris from an aerial object. After initial uncertainty, police chief Viorel Cernăuțeanu described it as a jet-powered drone. The source does not…
unresolved / Record verified
Căplani, Olănești and Chistovodne, Ștefan Vodă District
On the night of 18/19 September 2026, Moldovan border police recorded drones in Ștefan Vodă District. Around midnight, two objects entered towards Olănești and Chistovodne; another flight over Căplani from the direction of Crocmaz was also described. This entry groups the…
unresolved / Record verified
Tudora-Palanca area, Ștefan Vodă District
On 17 September 2026, an unidentified drone violated Moldovan airspace for about two minutes. The defence ministry said the object entered around 08:56 in the Tudora area and left around 08:58 near Palanca, returning towards Ukraine. The ministry did not identify the drone type…
unresolved / Record verified
near Palanca and Cioburciu, Ștefan Vodă District; Pervomaisc in the Transnistrian sector
On 14 September 2026, during Russian attacks on Odesa region, two drones violated Moldovan airspace. The first entered near Palanca at 10:33, arriving from Maiaky, penetrated about 500 m into the country and returned to Ukraine at 10:34. The second entered from the direction of…
not assessed / Record verified
Vasilcău, Băxani and Cuconeștii Noi (Moldova); Botoșanița Mare, Suceava County (Romania)
The Romanian Ministry of Defence reported that a drone had crashed in a maize field near Botoșanița Mare in Suceava County. The aircraft had earlier violated Moldovan airspace - it was detected between Vasilcău and Băxani and then near Cuconeștii Noi - before flying into…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Transnistria, Chișinău and Nisporeni (Moldova); Târgu Neamț, Iași and the counties of Botoșani, Iași, Neamț, Suceava and Vaslui (Romania); crash near Mihăilenii Vechi, Rîșcani District
A Russian jet-powered drone identified as a Geran-4 entered Transnistrian airspace after 16:00 and turned towards Chișinău exactly as an aircraft carrying President Volodymyr Zelensky was taking off from the city's airport for Norway - Moldovan authorities confirmed that the…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Dnestrovsc in the Transnistrian sector, on the border with Odesa region
On 30 August 2026 at 15:50 the National Army's air operations service detected an aerial object that crossed the state border at Dnestrovsc in the Transnistrian sector, arriving from Lymanske in Odesa region. At 15:59 the object returned to Ukraine by the same route; it was in…
not assessed / Record verified
Moldovan airspace; one drone crashed near Chișinău
Early in the morning, on Moldova's national holiday marking the 35th anniversary of independence, five Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace. One crashed near Chișinău, where a local resident found it and alerted the authorities. The incident came during an announced visit…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Ciușlea, Vrancea County (possibly via Moldovan airspace, heading towards Târgu Bujor)
The Moldovan army detected a drone entering from the direction of Vynohradivka; the object headed towards Vulcănești, airspace over southern Moldova was closed for 15 minutes, and at 06:09 the drone flew on towards Vlădești in Galați County. At about 06:00 Romanian systems…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
From the village of Krutoyarivka in Odesa Oblast towards Caplani, Ștefan Vodă District
At 04:07 the Moldovan army recorded an airspace violation from the direction of Ukraine, from the village of Krutoyarivka in Odesa Oblast. The drone was preliminarily identified as a Geran-3; it headed towards the village of Caplani in Ștefan Vodă District and left Moldovan…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Moldovan airspace; near the Giurgiulești-Reni border crossing
At 03:16 Moldova's armed forces detected an unauthorised entry into the airspace from the Ukrainian side near the village of Kotlovyna; the drone, identified as a Geran-2, headed towards the village of Etulia and left Moldova at 03:22. At about 03:45 the explosion of a drone on…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
3 km from Talmaza, Ștefan Vodă District
In the afternoon a Russian cruise missile crashed in Moldova, 3 km from the village of Talmaza; police and emergency services put out the fire caused by the explosion. According to the Ukrainian Air Force it was an S8000 Banderol missile tracked over Odesa, though Moldova's…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Between Galați and the border region, having transited Moldovan airspace
A Russian Geran-2 drone violated Moldovan airspace from the Ukrainian side: at 04:31 it was recorded over the village of Etulia in Gagauzia, at 04:44 Romanian systems detected a violation about 24 km north of Galați, and at 04:49 the drone left Moldova. Two Spanish F-18s from…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Moldovan airspace near the Ukrainian border
Another drone entered Moldovan airspace during a Russian attack on Odesa Oblast and was identified as a Geran-3 (Shahed-238) before returning to Ukraine.
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Near Crocmaz, Ștefan Vodă District
A Russian drone crashed and exploded near the village of Crocmaz; the blast broke windows in several houses and started a vegetation fire, causing damage within 800 metres. Preliminary reports indicated it may have been an S8000 Banderol cruise missile, the first of its kind in…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
outskirts of the village of Văleni, Cahul district
On 5 August 2026 fragments of an unmanned aircraft were found on the outskirts of Văleni village, Cahul district. The General Police Inspectorate said that after a preliminary examination of construction features, materials and markings specialists identified them as debris of…
unresolved / Record verified
Copanca, Căușeni District
During a night attack on the Odesa region, at 01:03 a Russian drone violated Moldovan airspace and crashed near Copanca in Căușeni district, about 30 km from the border; a fire broke out and residents of a nearby building were evacuated. Moldova's defence ministry confirmed the…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Near Lopatna, 55 km northeast of Chișinău, by the Dniester
Moldova's defence ministry said a drone bearing Ukrainian markings crossed the border at 00:20 and then crashed and exploded in a field near the village of Lopatna, 55 km northeast of Chișinău. Ukrainian origin was indicated at first, but the Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
overflight of Moldova from north to south: from Sauca (Ocnița District) via Bălți and the districts of Ungheni, Hîncești and Cahul to Giurgiulești
On 13 May 2026 at 16:00 an unmanned aerial vehicle crossed the border from the direction of Mohyliv-Podilskyi towards Sauca village in Ocnița District, was over Bălți at 16:05, then over the districts of Ungheni and Hîncești (Lăpușna 16:19, Cărpineni 16:23), dropped off radar…
not assessed / Record verified
field near the village of Băneștii Noi, Telenești district
On 29 April 2026 residents of Băneștii Noi village, Telenești district, alerted police to a drone-like object lying in a field. The General Police Inspectorate said all parts of the aircraft were collected, that they posed no danger and that they would go for expert examination…
unresolved / Record verified
near Tudora, Ștefan Vodă District
On 3 April 2026 at 08:13 the National Army's surveillance systems detected a Shahed-type drone that entered Moldovan airspace from the direction of Bilyaivka in Odesa region and headed towards the village of Tudora in Ștefan Vodă District; at 08:15 it left the country towards…
not assessed / Record verified
Tudora, Ștefan Vodă District
A Russian Geran-2 drone fell near the village of Tudora in the Ștefan Vodă district, close to the state border. Moldova summoned the Russian ambassador and delivered a formal protest note.
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
from the direction of Oleksandrivka (Ukraine) over the village of Ucrainca, Căușeni district; according to the Ukrainian side it vanished from radar near Troițcoe, Cimișlia district
At about 1.30 on the night of 14 March 2026, during a mass Russian attack on Ukraine, the Ukrainian side informed Moldova's Border Police of a Shahed-type drone that entered Moldovan airspace from the direction of Oleksandrivka over the village of Ucrainca, Căușeni district.…
not assessed / Record verified
Sofia village, Drochia District
Moldovan police reported the discovery of a Russian Gerbera drone in the village of Sofia, Drochia District, not far from the border with Ukraine. The area was sealed off and explosive ordnance disposal specialists were sent in.
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Crocmaz village, Ștefan Vodă district
On 22 January 2026 at about 9.25 residents reported to police a drone about 2.5 m long lying in the garden of an uninhabited house in Crocmaz village, Ștefan Vodă district. According to police the aircraft fell the previous night; its body was damaged on power lines and…
unresolved / Record verified
Nucareni, Telenești District
Moldovan authorities reported the discovery of a crashed Russian Gerbera drone in the village of Nucareni, Telenești District, about 54 km from the border with Ukraine; it was found by a hunter. Police published a photograph of the drone, noting that it carried no explosives;…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Pepeni village, Sângerei district
On 3 December 2025 police were alerted when a resident of Pepeni village, Sângerei district, was carting a drone into the village on the trailer of a walking tractor; according to police he had found it in a field on Saturday 29 November and taken it for a toy. Two men had…
unresolved / Record verified
Cuhureștii de Jos, Florești District
A Russian drone crashed on the roof of a house in Cuhureștii de Jos, about 20 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, without exploding. Nobody was injured and nearby residents were evacuated. Six drones were recorded violating Moldovan airspace that morning.
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Periprava and Chilia Veche (Romania); Gagauzia and Colibași (Moldova); re-entry near Oancea
A Russian drone entered Romanian airspace around 00:20 near Vylkove, penetrated about 8 kilometres into Romanian territory near Periprava and Chilia Veche, then crossed into Ukraine. Minutes later it entered Moldovan airspace over Gagauzia, flew over Colibași, and re-entered…
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
Moldovan and Romanian territory; impact in Chernivtsi Oblast (Ukraine)
A Kh-101 cruise missile flew over Ukraine, across Moldovan and Romanian territory, and then fell on a field in Chernivtsi Oblast. The Romanian authorities did not confirm the incident.
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
field near the village of Podgoreni, Orhei district
On 3 December 2024 residents alerted police to a drone lying in a field near the village of Podgoreni, Orhei district, less than 20 km from the Dniester. Police cordoned off the area and sent the technical-explosives unit of the General Police Inspectorate's forensic centre to…
unresolved / Record verified
Coșernița village, Criuleni district
A flying device was found in the village of Coșernița, Criuleni district, which police described as an escort aircraft for Shahed-type drones, of Russian origin, with no explosive payload attached. The day of the find is what is recorded. The source does not establish when the…
unresolved / Record verified
Moldovan airspace (northern Moldova, missile en route to Ukraine)
A Russian missile violated Moldovan airspace during a mass strike on Ukraine. Moldova summoned the Russian ambassador in protest.
not assessed / record not yet verified editorially (not the same as false)
near the village of Larga, Briceni district (Larga Border Police sector)
On 14 January 2023, the day of mass Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, a Border Police patrol in the Larga sector of Briceni district found missile debris. The interior ministry said a warhead holding about 80 kg of explosive was detected in the debris; on 15 January…
unresolved / Record verified
orchard near the town of Briceni, Briceni district
On 5 December 2022, the day of a mass Russian missile strike on Ukraine, a Border Police patrol found a missile in an orchard near the town of Briceni. Moldova's interior ministry said the area was cordoned off and bomb disposal (Bombteh) and emergency services were called in;…
unresolved / Record verified
northern edge of Naslavcea village, Ocnița District, on the border with Ukraine
On the morning of 31 October 2022 a missile shot down by Ukrainian air defence fell on the northern edge of Naslavcea village, Ocnița District, on the border with Ukraine. According to Moldova's interior ministry it was a Russian missile; there were no casualties, windows in…
not assessed / Record verified