---
title: "Drones over Moldova, Romania, and Poland: ISW Records a New Kremlin Strategy to Pressure the EU"
description: "On the night of September 24, Russian drones attacked Chernivtsi Oblast, violating the airspace of Moldova and Romania. ISW calls this a conscious Kremlin strategy to normalize violations of EU borders."
date: 2026-09-25T07:16:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/drones-over-moldova-romania-poland-isw-kremlin-strategy
tags: [ukraine-war, russia-drones, isw, moldova, romania, poland, nato, border-crossings, chernivtsi, air-attack]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Drones over Moldova, Romania, and Poland: ISW Records a New Kremlin Strategy to Pressure the EU

## 🎯 Key Points

- On the night of September 24, 2026, four Russian drones attacked Chernivtsi Oblast; three were shot down by air defense, and one flew toward Romania
- Drones violated the airspace of Moldova (Chernika) and Romania (Suceava county, near Solca)
- Poland evacuated personnel from the "Zosin" and "Dorohusk" crossing points for 30 minutes
- ISW classifies the incidents as a conscious Kremlin strategy to normalize violations of EU borders
- Ukrzaliznytsia recorded train delays on the western route exceeding six hours

On the night of September 24, 2026, Russia carried out a combined air strike on the western regions of Ukraine, as a result of which drones, for the first time in recent times, massively violated the airspace of European Union countries. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), cited by RBC-Ukraine and TSN, Chernivtsi Oblast came under attack: four Russian drones flew over Bukovina, targeting border crossing points on the border with Moldova and Romania. Three drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defense, while the fourth went further — toward the Romanian county of Suceava. The incident did not stop on the Ukrainian side: in Moldova, a "Gerbera"-type drone fell in the settlement of Chernika, and in Romania an unidentified aircraft spent four minutes in the country's airspace and crashed near Solca. Geolocation footage confirmed that this was also a Russian "Gerbera." In Poland, due to attacks near the Ukrainian-Polish border, personnel and citizens were preventively evacuated for 30 minutes from the "Zosin" and "Dorohusk" crossing points.

### ISW: The Kremlin is deliberately normalizing border violations

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War emphasize that both intentional and formally "accidental" violations of the airspace of Moldova and NATO countries represent a conscious strategy of Moscow. According to experts, the Kremlin seeks to make border crossings regular and "routine," so as to lower the threshold of reaction of European capitals in the long term. ISW warns that in the near future Russia's forceful actions against Europe may significantly intensify. This is not a one-off incident, but an element of a broader campaign of pressure on the western borders, which, according to the Ukrainian Border Service, was supported from the territory of Belarus, where UAV relays and control points are deployed.

### Consequences for infrastructure and the population of western Ukraine

The massive attack on western Ukraine led to serious disruptions in the operation of railway infrastructure. Ukrzaliznytsia recorded delays of several trains in the western direction exceeding six hours. The day before, on September 23, an enemy drone hit a residential high-rise building in Khmelnytskyi: windows were shattered, and balconies and cars parked under the building were damaged. No casualties were reported; however, the incident once again demonstrated the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure to strike UAVs. Experts note that the scenario of repeated attacks using "Shaheds" on the western regions remains relevant, especially given the presence of Russian relays on the territory of Belarus.

### Context: why western Ukraine became a priority target

The shift of strikes to the western oblasts — Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, and Lviv — is logical from the perspective of Russian military doctrine: these are zones bordering the EU and NATO, where even an "accidental" drone hit on Romanian or Moldovan territory creates a diplomatic crisis and provokes debates over the application of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. At the same time, strikes on crossing points and logistics hubs cause economic damage and undermine the morale of the population. According to ISW, the strategy is designed so that Europe gets used to regular violations of its airspace before a large-scale incident with human casualties occurs on its territory.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Russia attacked western Ukraine, drones flew into the EU: ISW speaks of a dangerous trend](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rf-atakuvala-zahid-ukrayini-droni-zaletili-1790320379.html) - Основной источник: детали атаки 24 сентября, 4 дрона над Черновищиной, 3 сбиты, 1 ушёл в Румынию; падение в Чернике (Молдова) и Солка (Румыния); эвакуация в Польше; вывод ISW о нормализации нарушений.
- [Russia is increasingly striking western regions and has targeted the borders with the EU: ISW warned about ...](https://tsn.ua/ru/svit/rossiya-vse-chasche-lupit-po-zapadnym-regionam-i-vzyala-pod-pritsel-granitsy-s-es-v-isw-predupredili-o-novoy-ugroze-3175265.html) - Подтверждает вывод ISW о стратегическом характере нарушений и предупреждает об усилении силовых действий против Европы.
- [The Border Service stated that Russia's attacks on Ukraine's western oblasts were supported from ...](https://inforesist.org/v-gospogransluzhbe-zayavili-chto-ataki-rf-na-zapadnye-oblasti-ukrainy-obespechivalis-s-territorii-belarusi/) - Дополнительный контекст: роль белорусской территории в обеспечении атак БПЛА на западные области.
- [Russians may again start terrorizing western Ukraine with "Shaheds": Fleshyak said ...](https://www.unian.net/war/rossiyskie-retranslyatory-v-belarusi-vrag-mozhet-vnov-nanesti-udar-po-zapadu-ukrainy-novosti-lvova-13454457.html) - Контекст: риск повторных атак «Шахед» при наличии российских ретрансляторов в Беларуси.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What happened on the night of September 24, 2026, in western Ukraine?
**A:** Russia carried out a combined air strike on Chernivtsi Oblast. Four drones flew over Bukovina, targeting border crossing points. Three were shot down by Ukrainian air defense, and the fourth flew toward the Romanian county of Suceava.

### Q: Which EU countries were affected by the airspace violations?
**A:** A "Gerbera"-type drone fell in Moldova (the settlement of Chernika), and in Romania an aircraft spent four minutes in the airspace and crashed near Solca. In Poland, due to attacks near the border, personnel were evacuated for 30 minutes from the "Zosin" and "Dorohusk" crossing points.

### Q: What does ISW say about the nature of these incidents?
**A:** ISW analysts believe that both intentional and "accidental" violations of the airspace of Moldova and NATO countries are a conscious attempt by the Kremlin to normalize border crossings, making them regular. Experts warn of a possible significant intensification of Russia's forceful actions against Europe.

### Q: What consequences did the attack have for Ukraine's infrastructure?
**A:** Ukrzaliznytsia recorded train delays on the western route exceeding six hours. The day before, on September 23, a drone hit a residential building in Khmelnytskyi, damaging windows, balconies, and cars; there were no casualties.