Suspected Russian drones crashed in Romania and Moldova overnight on September 24, 2026, following a sustained drone and missile attack on Ukraine. Moldovan police found a drone identified as potentially being of the 'Gerbera' type, while another crashed near Solca, Romania. No casualties were reported.
The repeated incursions of suspected Russian drones into NATO member Romania and neighboring Moldova highlight the escalating risks of the conflict in Ukraine spilling over into neighboring territories, potentially drawing NATO into direct confrontation.
Suspected Russian drones crashed in Romania and Moldova overnight on September 24, 2026, amidst ongoing Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. Moldovan police reported finding a drone fragment in the Floresti district, identifying it as potentially being of the 'Gerbera' type used by the Russian Federation. Separately, another drone violated Romanian airspace for approximately four minutes before crashing near Solca in Suceava County, according to Digi24. Acting Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta stated that a protest to Moscow over the incident was required. No casualties were reported in either country.
These incidents follow a pattern of Russian aerial incursions into the airspace of both nations. On September 8, a suspected Russian Shahed-type drone violated Moldovan and Romanian airspace, narrowly missing President Volodymyr Zelensky's plane as it departed Moldova. Previously, on August 16, NATO fighter jets intercepted and shot down a suspected Russian drone near the Moldovan border in Romanian airspace. The day after, on August 17, a Russian S8000 Banderol cruise missile entered Moldovan airspace during an attack on Odesa, eventually crashing in a cornfield near the village of Talmaz.
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