PM says Moldova must invest in defence

Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu has emphasized the need to strengthen investments in defence, after this morning’s incident, when a drone carrying explosives was detected in the south of Moldova.

The PM underlined that Russia continued its attacks on Ukraine, in violation of international law.

“Regrettably, we see repeatedly that Russia continues its attacks and does not respect those general principles, international law, and continues to attack our neighbouring state, Ukraine. Today, we were informed that we have a new incident, a new drone that fell on our country’s territory. We were shocked and alarmed by the fact that it carried an explosive payload. A short while ago, a controlled explosion was carried out, and now all local residents are safe,” said Alexandru Munteanu.

The prime minister urged citizens to remain vigilant and to immediately notify the responsible institutions, if they detect drones.

“We urge citizens not to turn drones into some kind of joke. It has become dangerous for the safety of local residents. As soon as such drones are detected, the responsible institutions must be notified, because it is dangerous for everyone,” the official stated.

At the same time, the PM stressed that the country would continue to invest in defence and would make efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine.

“We will continue to invest in our defence, because indeed the situation is escalating and we must invest in our defence, to help Ukraine. We hope that all efforts being undertaken now will lead to a just, lasting peace, where life, freedoms and human and European principles will be respected,” the official concluded.

A drone approximately 2.5 metres long today morning was detected at around 09:25, in the garden of an uninhabited house in the village of Crocmaz, Stefan Voda district. The object was spotted by citizens, who alerted law-enforcement bodies.

After the drone was detected, President Maia Sandu told a news conference that  Moldova must invest in airspace protection capabilities, noting that reactions condemning such incidents are not sufficient.

Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu also noted that the discovery of a new drone on the territory of Moldova proved the severity of security threats in the region. The official described the incident as a new serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova by the Russian Federation and reiterated the need to strengthen the state’s defence capabilities.

Today evening, Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii informed that National Army sappers had defused the drone. It was transported to a safe location and destroyed. According to the official, the aircraft was functional and had about 50 kg of explosives on board.