Three missiles and two drones crossed Moldova’s airspace between 7.45 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Saturday, then exploded on its territory, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said. Fragments later turned up in three eastern districts. The debris caused a fire. No one was hurt.
Airspace breach and debris
Local authorities said the missiles and drones passed over Moldova during that morning interval. Fragments turned up in Hincesti, Anenii Noi and Causeni, all in the country’s eastern districts. Police secured the debris.
Sandu condemned Russia on Saturday after the incident. “I condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine this morning. Its war is dangerously reaching Moldova,” she wrote on X. She said “Russian air attack weapons, including Banderol missiles and drones, violated our airspace and exploded on our soil.”
The weapons’ reported passage and the discovery of fragments took place in Moldova, while the attack Sandu condemned took place in Ukraine. Her statement linked the airspace violation and debris on Moldovan territory to Russia’s attack on Ukraine that morning.
Civilian casualties in Ukraine
Ukrainian regional authorities said Russian attacks in Ukraine killed at least eight civilians and injured 83 others in the previous day. Those figures were for Ukraine, not Moldova. Moldovan authorities reported a fire caused by debris, with no casualties from the incident on Moldovan territory.
Moldova has faced numerous airspace violations and collateral damage as Russia’s full-scale war continued in neighboring Ukraine. Tensions have also grown between Chisinau’s pro-EU government and Moscow, the report said.
On the preceding Wednesday, Moldova faced three separate airspace violations as Russia attacked Kyiv with drones and missiles. That was separate from Saturday’s reported passage of three missiles and two drones. The article doesn’t provide further details about Wednesday’s violations.
Other incidents in Europe
Lithuania temporarily closed its airport in Vilnius on Saturday morning for about an hour after someone spotted a dangerous object in the skies. It may have been crossing the border from Belarus. NATO jets scrambled.
The report described a growing number of incidents, hybrid attacks, sabotage attempts and airspace violations in European countries amid rising tensions with Russia. It didn’t identify the object seen near Vilnius or say whether it crossed into Lithuania. The airport closure lasted about an hour, while the Moldovan account recorded weapons passing through the country’s airspace between 7.45 a.m. and 8 a.m.
In Moldova, the reported consequences were debris in Hincesti, Anenii Noi and Causeni, police securing the fragments and a fire with no reported casualties. In Ukraine, authorities reported at least eight civilian deaths and 83 injuries from Russian attacks during the previous day. Sandu condemned Russia after the airspace incident and attack on Ukraine.