Moldova investigates night sky flashes and drone reports
Moldovan police inspected multiple sites in the Orhei and Calarasi districts overnight following reports of a suspected drone and a bright sky flash, authorities said on Sunday, finding no ground debris.
Nighttime alarms in central districts
Local law enforcement received the first alert around 01:50 from a resident in Berezlogi, located in the Orhei district, who reported observing a flying object resembling a drone. Approximately ten minutes later, another alert came from Dereneu in the neighboring Calarasi district, where a villager reported a powerful flash in the sky followed by a loud explosion.
Specialized police teams searched both designated areas, including agricultural perimeters and open fields outside the villages. Preliminary on-site investigations revealed no wreckage, impact craters, or fire damage that would confirm an aerial detonation or a grounded object.
Authorities confirmed that operational checks are ongoing to clarify the circumstances. The General Police Inspectorate urged citizens to stay away from any unfamiliar or fallen objects and to notify emergency services via 112 immediately upon spotting suspicious aerial activity.
Diplomatic reaction to airspace risks
Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the suspected aerial breaches, underscoring the risks posed to civilian safety.
“Such an incident represents an unacceptable violation of our country's airspace and constitutes a direct threat to the security and safety of citizens,” the ministry said in an official statement.
Diplomatic officials reiterated that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and airspace of the Republic of Moldova must be strictly respected.
The alerts followed an incident on the morning of September 19, when the Border Police noted unauthorized airspace overflights near Troitcoe in the Cimislia district. While Moldovan search teams found no debris or blast sites on sovereign soil, Ukrainian authorities subsequently located an explosion site and unidentified fragments roughly 1,200 meters across the international border.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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