Moldova's foreign ministry condemns violation of airspace, explosion of aerial object

Moldova's foreign ministry has expressed strong condemnation of an unidentified aerial object violating Moldovan airspace and subsequently exploding, causing a grass fire but no casualties. The incident occurred on Monday near the border with Ukraine, specifically around the settlement of Talmaza. Moldova, which shares a border with Ukraine and supports that nation in Russia's war, has faced multiple instances of drones flying over its territory and debris near the border.

The explosion, which took place at 1737 local time (1437 GMT), set grass ablaze but posed no threat to the safety of Moldovan citizens. The ministry did not identify the origin of the object, stating that the incident constitutes a serious violation of Moldova's sovereignty and poses a direct risk to the safety of its people.

In a separate incident, a Russian drone was shot down over Romania by an F-18 fighter jet on a NATO air policing mission. This marks the fourth unmanned aircraft shot down over Romania this year. The NATO military headquarters spokesperson, US Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, emphasized that the alliance remains constantly vigilant and prepared to defend itself against any threat. Further details regarding the Romanian incident are currently under investigation, but the drone appears to be of Russian origin.