Missiles and Drones Hit Moldova: “The War Is Getting Closer”

Explosions were heard across southern and central Moldova on Saturday morning. Russia launched another attack on Ukraine, and this time some of the weapons ended up on the Moldovan side of the border.

“We have five incidents — three missiles and two drones,” Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi told reporters.

President Maia Sandu wrote on X that the war was “getting dangerously close to Moldova.”

The Moldovan military recorded six unauthorized flights during the morning. Five airborne objects — three missiles and two drones — crossed the border between 7:45 and 8:00 a.m. A sixth unidentified object entered Moldovan airspace at 8:04 a.m. and left one minute later. Police found debris and impact sites in the districts of Căușeni, Ștefan Vodă, Hîncești and Anenii Noi. Residents reported several powerful explosions outside populated areas.

In the village of Crocmaz, a drone came down in a vineyard. It set dry vegetation on fire and shattered windows in a nearby house. No deaths or injuries have been reported. Police and military teams were sent to secure the sites and examine the wreckage. The figures remain preliminary. Initial reports referred to five drones, while the defense minister later said the incidents involved three missiles and two drones.

Several Incidents in Just a Few Days

This was not the first such incident this week. On September 30, three drones entered Moldovan airspace, and two of them crashed and exploded — one near Hîrbovăț in Anenii Noi district and another near the road between Ivanceaand Brănești in Orhei district. The road and airspace over the central part of the country were closed, and Moldovasummoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov.

Moldova is a landlocked country of fewer than three million people, wedged between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south. It is a member of neither the European Union nor NATO, and neutrality is written into its constitution. That has not made its borders safer. Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly violated Moldovan airspace during attacks on Ukraine, while Russia maintains troops in the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria.

Almost Nothing to Shoot With

The reason Moldova is not shooting these weapons down is straightforward: it has very limited means to do so. The country has no combat aircraft and no modern long-range air defense system. Its operational defenses consist of man-portable air-defense missiles, anti-aircraft guns and electronic warfare equipment. Their range is limited, allowing them to protect only selected critical facilities such as power plants.

Surveillance has improved since Moldova purchased a French Thales Ground Master 200 radar in 2023, and the country cooperates with Romania and Ukraine on airspace monitoring and information sharing. But major gaps remain. Fast cruise missiles are difficult to intercept, and shooting down airborne weapons over populated areas can itself put civilians on the ground at risk.

Waiting for Outside Help

In Chișinău, the Foreign Ministry has delivered formal protests to Russia. Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu says the country needs to strengthen its own defenses substantially.

Help is coming, but slowly. In July, the European Union approved a €120 million support package through the European Peace Facility. The money will finance a new medium-range air defense system. Until that new capability is in place, Moldova is largely left watching the sky — and counting the impacts.