Russian drone is found in village in southern Moldova
A Russian drone was found in the village of Crocmaz in Moldova's Ștefan Vodă district on the morning of 22 January.
Source: European Pravda, citing a statement by Moldova police; a statement by Moldova's Foreign Ministry
Details: Police said that local residents spotted a drone about 2.5 metres long in the garden of an abandoned village house and alerted law enforcement.
Specialised teams arrived at the scene and the area was cordoned off. Police thanked residents for reporting the drone and reminded people to follow safety rules in such cases, including not approaching suspicious objects, not touching them, not moving them and not trying to dismantle them.
Quote from police: "We remind people to report such incidents to the police immediately and to follow law enforcement instructions until specialised teams arrive."
More details: Commenting on the incident, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry called it a "gross violation of Moldova's sovereignty" and condemned Russia's war against Ukraine.
Quote from the foreign ministry: "After a Russian drone was found in the Crocmaz area of Ștefan Vodă district, the Foreign Ministry hereby declares that such incidents are a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova."
Moldova condemns such violations and condemns Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which also puts the safety of our citizens at risk."
More details: The ministry added that Moldova will continue to invest in peace and security to protect the country and its citizens.
Background:
- A drone about 2.5 metres long was found on the shore of a lake in Moldova's Telenești district on 17 January.
- Russian drones have entered Moldovan airspace at least twice in recent months, including one incident on 25 November 2025 when six flew in at once. One of them crashed onto the roof of a house in the rural area.
- One drone was placed on the steps of Moldova's Foreign Ministry ahead of the Russian ambassador being summoned.
- On 29 November 2025, two Shahed-type drones flew through Moldova.
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