“The airspace of the Republic of Moldova was temporarily closed last night due to illegal drone flights. […] The drones, identified as the “Gerbera” type, crossed the airspace in the direction of Stanislavka (Odessa region) – Varenkau (a region on the left bank of the Dniester),” the release says.
It notes that drones posed a direct threat to flight safety, so air traffic was stopped for 70 minutes.
According to authorities, the restrictions delayed the takeoff of one plane, and two planes that were supposed to land in Chisinau were diverted to an alternative airport in Romania.
“No objects, debris or elements posing a danger to the population were found, and operational data confirms that both drones finally left the national airspace, venturing deeper into the territory of Ukraine,” the Moldovan Ministry of Defense said.
Chisinau considers the appearance of drones in Moldova’s airspace “hostile actions aimed at intimidation and destabilization of the situation, characteristic of a regional context characterized by military aggression of the Russian Federation.”
“The situation with unauthorized flight of airspace was quickly and effectively resolved. […] Citizens can be assured that authorities continue to closely monitor the airspace and take all necessary measures to prevent any risks, ensuring the protection of passengers, the public and air traffic,” the statement said.
The situation was also commented on the social network X by the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu.
“A brutal 10-hour attack on Ukraine. This is not the language of diplomacy or the language of a country vying for peace talks. Russian drones flying to kill civilians once again violated Moldova's airspace, forcing its temporary closure. We condemn these attacks and stand with Ukraine,” she wrote.
A brutal 10h attack on Ukraine. This is not the language of diplomacy, nor of a country claiming to negotiate peace.
On their way to kill civilians, Russian drones again violated Moldovan airspace, forcing its temporary closure. We condemn these attacks and stand with Ukraine.
— Maia Sandu (@sandumaiamd) November 29, 2025
Context
“Gerbera” is a cheaper version of the Russian UAV “Geran-2”, which, in turn, is a copy of the Iranian Shahed-136.
