Russia's drone war comes to Moldova and Romania

For Ukrainians, Russia's air war has been an ongoing nightmare filled with missiles, bombs, and drones causing daily casualties. But neighboring central and southeastern European countries have also experienced the threat, albeit on a smaller scale. Missiles and drones occasionally intrude into their airspace and sometimes crash on their soil. Now, the Russian drone war is dangerously approaching Romania and Moldova, two of Ukraine's neighbors, where drone incidents are becoming increasingly common.

These incidents often result in injuries and attacks on Ukrainian checkpoints at the Moldovan and Romanian borders. Observers now suspect the Kremlin is deliberately attempting to bring the war closer to their countries. A recent incident on Tuesday caused a stir when a Russian Geran drone, capable of flying at 500 kilometers per hour (311 mph), took off from Crimea, crossed Ukrainian airspace, and crashed in a sunflower field near the Moldovan city of Riscani.

The drone also flew over Romania, prompting NATO forces to scramble fighter jets, though they did not shoot down the drone, unlike previous encounters.

Moldova's air defense capabilities are limited, as evidenced by the inability to shoot down the drone. The country currently possesses only a small number of Polish Piorun anti-aircraft missiles, which can only protect specific targets. Since the beginning of August, around three dozen drone incidents have occurred in Romania and Moldova, with most being airspace violations.

However, there have been crashes, explosions, and debris found, with 17 drones crashing in Moldova alone in August, compared to the entire year of 2025.

A particularly alarming incident on September 8 involved a drone attack on the Starokozache border crossing between Ukraine and southeastern Moldova, resulting in the deaths of two people. Moldovan President Maia Sandu strongly condemned the attack, stating that Russia's war had reached Moldovan territory. Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu emphasized that these incidents are no longer remote threats but a daily reality.

Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii warned that further deaths of Moldovan citizens cannot be ruled out in the future.

The Romanian government, which previously maintained a reclusive stance, has recently taken a more aggressive approach, shooting down drones in Romanian airspace following a change in policy in July. Analysts suggest that the latest drone incidents are deliberate maneuvers aimed at testing NATO and Moldovan defenses. The US Institute for the Study of War believes that Russia benefits from such actions, as they serve to further assess NATO's capabilities and responses.