Drone Violates Moldovan Airspace Amid Russian Attacks on Ukraine

On August 22, a drone entered Moldovan airspace shortly after a Russian aerial attack on Ukraine, according to NewsMaker's reporting. This unauthorized flight was detected at 4:07 a.m. local time, according to specialized airspace monitoring services. The aircraft, likely a Shahed-138 (Geran-3) drone, entered from the direction of Krutoyarivka in Ukraine’s Odesa region and flew towards Moldova's village of Caplani, in the Ștefan Vodă district.

The drone remained in Moldovan airspace for about 17 minutes before exiting at 4:24 a.m. and returning to Ukraine along the same route. Moldovan defense officials emphasized that this overflight coincided with Russia's ongoing air attacks against Ukraine. This incident is part of a series of drone incursions along Moldova's border.

Earlier in the week, Moldovan President Maia Sandu suggested that Russia might be intentionally sending drones into the country’s airspace. She noted that the patterns of drone trajectories could indicate whether these violations were deliberate tests of Moldova's response capacity. Sandu also attributed the responsibility for these incursions solely to Russia, expressing skepticism about the efficacy of diplomatic measures.

The Aug. 22 incident follows several recent airspace violations in the region. On August 16, a Shahed-138 (Geran-2) drone entered Moldovan airspace from Ukraine, flying over the country for 18 minutes before heading towards Galați, Romania. This drone was later shot down by a Spanish F-18 fighter jet in combat patrol over Romania, marking the fourth such interception.

These recurring incidents coincide with Moldova’s EU accession bid, a process linked to Ukraine's membership path, and follow US intelligence warnings that Russia might attempt to test NATO's eastern flank.