On Monday (17th), an unidentified flying object entered Moldova’s airspace and later exploded near the Ukrainian border. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova issued a statement on social media condemning the violation of their airspace.
According to Reuters, the Moldovan government stated in a release that an unknown object entered the country’s airspace at 17:37 local time on August 17 and shortly after exploded near the village of Talmaza, close to the Ukrainian border.
The explosion ignited the grassland but fortunately did not cause any casualties. Moldovan authorities did not disclose the origin of the object.
The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “This incident constitutes a serious infringement of the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova and poses a direct threat to the safety of our citizens. Such events are unacceptable.”
The statement further pointed out, “The aggressive war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine continues to directly impact the security of the Republic of Moldova.”
Moldova shares borders with Ukraine and supports Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Moldova has experienced incidents such as drones flying over its territory and the discovery of drone debris in border areas.
According to the Kyiv Independent, the Ukrainian Air Force stated on the 17th that a Russian-made S8000 “Banderol” cruise missile entered Moldova’s airspace during Russian attacks on Odesa.
Moldovan authorities confirmed that an unidentified flying object entered the airspace at 17:37 that day, disappeared from radars near Talmaza, and an explosion occurred. Moldova’s central airspace was closed for about 15 minutes afterwards.
Currently, Moldovan officials have not confirmed the model, origin, or ownership of the unidentified flying object, nor have they verified whether the debris found on the scene is the “Banderol” missile claimed by the Ukrainian side.