Moldova temporarily closed its airspace late on November 28–29, 2025, after two drones crossed its territory during a large Russian strike on Ukraine, forcing flight diversions and marking the third such incident in nine days.
In a detailed statement, the Ministry of Defense said the drones triggered an emergency closure from 22:43 to 23:53 after being detected by the National Army’s Air Operations Service and later confirmed by Ukrainian border authorities.
The aircraft, identified as Gerbera-type drones, reportedly entered Moldovan airspace along the Stanislavka–Vărăncău axis before flying onward into Ukraine. The Gerbera was originally developed as a decoy, designed to overwhelm and saturate enemy air defenses by mimicking the radar signature of Shahed loitering munitions. However, several Gerbera drones recovered in recent years were found to be carrying explosive payloads.
Flights diverted amid risk for civil aviation
Authorities issued an emergency NOTAM ordering the immediate shutdown of the airspace, which led to two inbound flights being diverted to Romania and one outbound aircraft being held on the ground at Chisinau International Airport. The northern sector of Moldova’s airspace remained restricted until 23:32, when both drones were confirmed to have exited national territory.
Moldovan forces activated inter-agency coordination mechanisms, including the Border Police, the National Police, and the Ministry of Defense, to monitor airspace and conduct field checks along potential drone routes. No debris was found, and officials said operational data confirmed that the drones “definitively left” Moldovan airspace.
“On their way to kill civilians, Russian drones again violated Moldovan airspace, forcing its temporary closure,” Moldovian President Maia Sandu wrote on X. “We condemn these attacks and stand with Ukraine.”
The latest breach follows an incident earlier this week in which several drones reportedly entered Moldovan territory, as well as a similar intrusion on November 20, 2025. In response, Moldova has summoned Russia’s ambassador, Oleg Ozerov, multiple times to present evidence and lodge formal protests. Moscow has dismissed the allegations and accused Moldova of fueling anti-Russian sentiment.
Regional airspace pressures continue to mount
In recent months, the air war in Ukraine has increasingly spilled across borders and complicated air-safety management for both EU and NATO members, as well as non-aligned states such as Moldova.
On November 25, 2025, Romania scrambled German Eurofighter Typhoons and Romanian F-16s after a drone penetrated more than 100 kilometers into Romanian territory, the deepest incursion recorded since the start of the war. Days earlier, Polish and Romanian jets were also launched following Russian strikes on Ukraine that sent debris and drones close to NATO airspace.
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