Russian Drones Reach Moldova and Romania, Zelensky Plane Nearly Affected

Russian drone attacks have extended well beyond Ukrainian borders, with Moldova and Romania experiencing nearly daily incidents since early August 2026. International observers say these strikes can no longer be dismissed as accidents — they appear to reflect a deliberate Kremlin strategy to expand the conflict into neighboring states.

The most dramatic episode occurred on September 8, 2026, when a Russian Geran drone equipped with a jet engine — capable of flying at up to 500 km/h — entered Moldovan airspace after launching from Russian-occupied Kherson. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had just departed from Chisinau International Airport when the drone struck roughly 160 kilometers to the north. Initial reports claiming his plane was nearly hit were incorrect, but the drone still forced both countries to act.

Airspace Closed, Airports Halted

Moldova shut down its entire airspace for approximately one hour following the September 8 incident. Both Chisinau International Airport and Iasi Airport in Romania temporarily suspended all flights. NATO F-16s scrambled from Kogalniceanu air base near Constanta on Romania's Black Sea coast but did not intercept the drone, raising questions about the alliance's readiness to protect allied airspace.

On September 9, a separate drone attack damaged the Ukrainian-Moldovan border crossing at Starokosatsche in the southeast of Moldova, adding to a toll of around three dozen drone incidents in the two countries since the start of August.

Moldova and Romania Sound Alarm

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said bluntly: "Russia's war has now reached Moldova's border." Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii went further, warning that casualties among Moldovan civilians could no longer be ruled out. Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Bolea called for immediate international assistance to bolster the country's air defenses.

Military expert Rosian Vasiloi, a former head of Moldova's border police, described the pattern as a "planned provocation" by the Kremlin. The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reached a similar conclusion after the September 8 incident, assessing that Russia is deliberately trying to drag neighboring countries into the conflict.

NATO Escalation Concerns

Romania's leadership had not publicly addressed the latest incidents, though the government in Bucharest had already launched a defense policy overhaul in July — reversing years of underinvestment — and signed new air defense contracts. A former Romanian general urged the government to accelerate the deployment of modern air defense systems to better protect Romanian and allied airspace.

• ~3 dozen drone incidents in Moldova and Romania since August 2026
• Moldovan airspace closed for ~1 hour on September 8
• NATO interceptors scrambled but did not engage
• Border crossing Starokosatsche damaged on September 9
• ISW: Russian strategy to extend war to neighboring states