A Russian Shahed attack drone, carrying an undetonated warhead, was found on the morning of January 22 in the village of Crocmaz, in the Ștefan Vodă district of Moldova.
The equipment, about 2.5 meters in length, fell into the garden of a residence, prompting specialized explosive teams to carry out a controlled detonation on-site due to the transportation risk. Residents nearby had to be evacuated as a precaution.
Moldovan police reported the discovery, and later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it was a drone of Russian origin.
In an official statement, the government classified the incident as unacceptable and stated that the presence of the device on Moldovan territory represented a direct violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The ministry also took the opportunity to condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine, emphasizing that this is not the first time Russian military drones have crossed Moldovan airspace. Similar incidents have been recorded frequently, increasing local authorities’ concerns over national security.
Recent cases reinforce this scenario. In late November 2025, a Russian Gerbera drone fell on a house in the northern part of the country after entering Moldovan airspace. In early December, another drone of the same type was found by a resident in a field in the Sîngerei region. These drones are used both in direct attacks and as decoys to overwhelm air defense systems.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @bayraktar_1love | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Russian Shahed kamikaze drone crashed in Moldovan territory. pic.twitter.com/B59xW4YiuM
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 22, 2026
