Russian drone crashes in Moldova near Copanca, no casualties
A Russian‑manufactured Gheran‑2 (Shahed‑136) drone entered Moldovan airspace during a night raid on Ukraine’s Odesa region and crashed near the village of Copanca in the Căușeni district. The unmanned aircraft exploded on impact, igniting a fire, but no injuries or significant material damage were reported.
Moldovan authorities – the Air Operations Service of the National Army, police, fire‑fighters and the Ministry of Defence – secured the site, detonated the remaining explosive payload safely and began an investigation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “serious and unacceptable” violation of sovereignty, issued a formal note of protest to Russian ambassador‑designate Oleg Ozerov, and reiterated calls for Russia to respect Moldova’s airspace.
Experts warned that such incidents heighten security risks for the neutral state, while the European Union announced €120 million to strengthen Moldova’s air‑defence capabilities. The incident underscores the spill‑over effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine into neighbouring territories.