airspace incident: 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 (2026-09-08)

What happened

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 plane was at risk of being hit. The drone flew 120 km into Romania, turned back over Târgu Neamț and passed over Iași among other places (the airport there was closed and RO-Alert warnings were issued in five counties), before returning over Moldova and crashing in a sunflower field near Mihăilenii Vechi, starting a fire. Two Spanish F/A-18s on a NATO Air Policing mission failed to intercept it, and 11 other NATO aircraft did not detect the drone on its flight from Crimea.

The word "Russian" in this description comes from the source's account of where the object was made or what type it is. It is not a finding about who sent it or on whose orders. This record carries no assessment of responsibility: see the attribution band below.

Responsibility and limits of the evidence

not assessed

Nobody has yet assessed responsibility for this record. Not assessed is not the same as not established.

Impact

killed

not established

injured

not established

damage

not established

Sources

1. Naruszenia przestrzeni powietrznej nieobjętej działaniami wojennymi podczas wojny rosyjsko-ukraińskiej

   pl.wikipedia.org / secondary source

   supports: the record, the disruption