UAV event in Moldova, Republic of on Tue 8th September 2026

On 8 September 2026, a Russian military drone entered Moldovan airspace from the direction of Slavianorebca in Ukraine at about 16:20, crossed the Transnistrian region toward Bender and continued toward Chisinau, before being tracked near Balanesti and Cetireni and leaving Moldovan airspace near Zagarancea at 16:37 toward Romania. The same drone entered Romanian airspace about 30 kilometers southeast of Iasi, was monitored by two Spanish F-18 aircraft, and was tracked about 18 kilometers north of Roman before radar contact was lost near the Iasi-Botosani boundary at 17:02. It re-entered Moldovan airspace at 17:08, was later tracked near Cobani and Drochia and last detected near Sturzovca at 17:14, before crashing and exploding in a sunflower field outside Mihailenii Vechi (Mihaileni, Riscani), causing four fires and leaving a large crater; investigators recovered metal-ball fragmentation elements indicating an explosive payload and fragments with characteristics similar to a Geran-type drone.