Moldova reported a new airspace violation by Shahed drone

A drone, tentatively identified as Shahed, violated Moldova's airspace on Tuesday, September 8, crossed a significant part of the country and then headed towards Romania. Due to the threat, Moldovan authorities temporarily restricted airspace in the central part of the country.

Surveillance systems of the National Army of Moldova detected the drone at 16:20. According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Defense, the aircraft arrived from Ukraine and entered Moldovan airspace in the direction of the settlement of Slavianorebka.

After that, the drone headed towards Bender through the Transnistrian region of Moldova. The military continued to track its flight using surveillance means.

At 16:32 the aircraft was moving towards Chisinau. At 16:36 it was recorded in the area of the village of Bălănești in Nisporeni district, after which the drone continued moving towards Chetireni in Ungheni district.

At 16:37 the drone left Moldova's airspace near the settlement of Zagarancea in Ungheni district and continued its flight across the Prut towards Golăești in the Romanian county of Iași. The Moldovan Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the identification of the aircraft as Shahed is still preliminary.

Moldova temporarily restricted airspace

Amidst the drone's movement, Moldovan authorities at 16:30 temporarily restricted the use of airspace in the central part of the country for the safety of civil aviation.

After the aircraft left the country's territory, the restrictions were lifted. The Ministry of Defense stated that it continues, together with partners, to monitor airspace to ensure public safety.

Romania scrambled fighter jets

Almost simultaneously, security measures were taken in Romania. Residents of Iași, Suceava, Neamț, Botoșani counties and the northern part of Vaslui began receiving RO-Alert warnings about possible falling objects from the air.

According to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, at 16:47 the radar system detected an aerial target approximately 18 kilometers north of the city of Roman. To monitor the situation, two Spanish F-18 fighter jets, which serve in the NATO enhanced air policing mission from the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base, were scrambled at 16:39.

At the time of the initial reports, Romanian authorities referred to the detected object as an "aerial target" and did not officially confirm that it was the same Shahed that had previously crossed Moldova.

Based on materials from: Ministry of Defense of Moldova, Jurnal.md