Key facts
- Moldovan police said the fragments were found in a vine plantation on the edge of Antonesti in the Stefan Voda District.
- Police said the site is about 10 kilometers, or about six miles, from Ukraine's Odesa Oblast.
- Police said the examination to determine the fragments' origin is ongoing.
- Police warned residents not to approach such fragments or suspicious objects until a safety check is done.
Moldovan police said on November 12, 2026 that drone fragments were found in a vine plantation on the edge of the village of Antonesti in the Stefan Voda District, an area bordering Ukraine's southern Odesa Oblast. Police said a Moldovan citizen called them after spotting the debris, which lay about 10 kilometers (about six miles) from Odesa Oblast.
Police said the examination to determine the fragments' origin is ongoing. They warned local residents not to approach any such fragments or suspicious objects until the area has undergone a safety check.
The find followed a report by Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper of a Russian drone attack on Odesa and its surrounding areas at around noon local time, according to the report. Moldova and Russian-occupied Transnistria border the Odesa region.
The report said Moldova has recorded other drone incursions during Russia's war in Ukraine. On October 23, Moldova declared a member of the Russian embassy persona non grata after a Russian drone violated Moldovan airspace and came down near homes and an energy facility in the country's center, President Maia Sandu said at the time. On October 16, Moldova's Defense Ministry reported that four Russian drones entered the country's airspace during an overnight attack on Ukraine, the report said.