UAV event in Moldova, Republic of on Mon 13th July 2026

On 13 July 2026, a Russian Geran-2 (Shahed-136) drone crashed and exploded at about 01:03 on the outskirts of Copanca (Causeni, Causeni), causing a fire but no casualties. According to the Ministry of Defense, the drone had crossed Moldovan airspace during Russian air attacks on the Odesa region of Ukraine. Police and firefighters extinguished the fire and secured the perimeter. Later that day, Moldovan military sappers established that the drone's 40 kg fragmentation-explosive warhead had not detonated on impact and carried out a controlled explosion to eliminate the threat. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the violation of Moldovan airspace as a serious and unacceptable breach and said Russia's war against Ukraine created direct threats to the security of Moldovan citizens and the region.