A new drone was discovered on Tuesday near the Arena Chișinău, a major sports complex on the northeastern outskirts of Moldova's capital.
This marks the fourth such incident in the country over the past 10 days, according to authorities, according to Digi24.
The Inspectorate General of Police (IGP) reported that the drone was spotted at around 11:20 a.m. local time.
A concerned citizen alerted authorities after finding the object on the ground near the Port Mall and Arena Chișinău. Police and experts quickly arrived to secure and examine the drone.
Growing Number of Drones
Earlier drone incidents occurred on November 10 and November 12. On November 10, two drones were found in separate locations.
One was found near the village of Fîrlădeni in Căușeni district, southeastern Moldova, and another in Borosenii Noi in Rîșcani district, in the northwest near the Romanian border.
A third drone entered Moldovan airspace on November 12, detected near Coșernița in Criuleni district, west of Chișinău.
Moldovan authorities believe the drones originated from Russia. They are thought to be linked to recent large-scale overnight airstrikes in Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi confirmed that the drones were of Russian origin. He explained they were likely "decoy drones," used to mislead Ukrainian air defenses.
The growing number of drone incidents highlights Moldova's vulnerability as the war in neighboring Ukraine intensifies. Moldova has repeatedly expressed concerns about spillover effects from the conflict, which threaten its security.
Authorities are conducting detailed investigations into these drone incursions. While there has been no immediate threat to the public, the incidents have increased pressure on Moldova to strengthen its airspace monitoring.
