In Moldova, 39 airspace violations have been recorded since the beginning of 2026, compared with 17 for the whole of last year, and the country will step up efforts to counter Russian drones. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said this after a meeting of the National Security Council, UNN reports.
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According to Sandu, Russian drones are rapidly improving and gaining new capabilities to evade existing air defense systems. As a result, Chisinau is modernizing its airspace surveillance system and expanding its air defense capabilities.
Moldovan troops currently have man-portable surface-to-air missile systems, antiaircraft machine guns, and electronic warfare equipment. However, their capabilities are primarily sufficient to protect critical infrastructure.
EU to finance a new air defense system
The Moldovan Ministry of Defense will receive €120 million from the European Union to purchase a medium-range air defense system. The authorities are also attracting external non-repayable funding to develop defense capabilities.
Several drones flew over Moldova's territory at once19.09.26, 12:18
Moldova is simultaneously strengthening information sharing with neighboring countries and working with international partners on modern and cheaper means of combating drones.
Sandu stressed that every drone that violates Moldova’s airspace poses a danger to the population, and she placed responsibility for such incidents on Russia.
The authorities are also preparing mechanisms for promptly warning the population about crisis situations. In the future, the MD-Alert system, costing €5 million, is expected to become operational for this purpose, although its implementation will still take time.