---
title: "Series of incidents involving unidentified UAVs: Moldova records drone flyovers and explosions over one week"
description: "Over one week, Moldova recorded a series of incidents involving unidentified UAVs: drone flyovers, explosions near Chisinau, and the temporary closure of airspace. The police found no debris, and the Ministry of Defense was unable to intercept some of the objects."
date: 2026-09-20T07:14:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/moldova-series-of-incidents-involving-unidentified-uavs
tags: [moldova, drones, uav, airspace, security, ukraine-border]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Series of incidents involving unidentified UAVs: Moldova records drone flyovers and explosions over one week

![Moldovan police patrol on a road at night during heightened security due to drone incidents](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/20/moldova-seriya-incidentov-s-neizvestnymi-bpla/moldova-seriya-incidentov-s-neizvestnymi-bpla-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Residents of the Orhei and Calarasi districts of Moldova reported a drone flyover and an explosion at night on September 20
- The police conducted inspections but found no debris, impact marks, or fires
- During the period from September 12 to 20, 2026, Moldova recorded a series of at least four incidents involving unidentified flying objects
- The Ministry of Defense of Moldova was unable to record a combat UAV near Chisinau due to its high speed and low flight altitude
- On September 12, Moldova temporarily closed part of its airspace, and several flights were delayed at Chisinau airport

Residents of two districts of Moldova reported probable unmanned aerial vehicles in the country's airspace. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the press service of the Moldovan police. According to law enforcement, at around 1:50 a.m. a resident of the village of Berezlodji contacted the police in the city of Orhei, reporting that he had spotted a flying object in the sky resembling a drone. Later, at around 2:00 a.m., a resident of the village of Dereneu contacted the police in the city of Calarasi, reporting that he had seen a bright light in the sky, after which an explosion was heard. Law enforcement conducted inspections in the specified areas, however, as a result of the preliminary investigation and inspection of the terrain, including outside the settlements, no debris, impact marks, or fires confirming an explosion on the ground or the fall of any object were found.

### Chronology of incidents: a week of tension in the airspace

The nighttime reports from residents of the Orhei and Calarasi districts are already not the first such episode of the current week. On the morning of September 19, several unidentified drones were recorded in the Stefan-Voda area, violating Moldova's airspace. On the night of September 18, a powerful mysterious explosion was heard near the Moldovan village of Colonita, which borders Chisinau: local residents heard a loud sound around four in the morning, after which the police began inspecting the nearby areas. Notably, the Ministry of Defense of Moldova was unable to record a combat unmanned aerial vehicle with explosives that fell near Chisinau due to its high speed and low flight altitude — which, in essence, confirms the fact of the presence of a military-type object in the air, although its origin and affiliation have not been officially established.

### Closure of airspace and consequences for air traffic

Earlier, on September 12, Moldova was forced to temporarily close part of its airspace. The restrictions were introduced due to an unidentified drone that flew into the country from the direction of Ukraine. As a result of this incident, several flights had to be delayed at Chisinau airport. Thus, during the period from September 12 to 20, 2026, Moldova has recorded at least a four-day series of incidents involving unidentified flying objects: from the temporary closure of airspace to nighttime explosions and residents' reports of drones flying near settlements.

### Contradictory data

There are a number of inconsistencies between the statements of different agencies and the results of the inspections. On the one hand, residents of the village of Dereneu claim that they heard an explosion, and the Ministry of Defense of Moldova previously acknowledged that it was unable to record a combat unmanned aerial vehicle with explosives near Chisinau due to its high speed and low flight altitude. On the other hand, the police, after inspecting the terrain in the Orhei and Calarasi areas, found neither debris nor impact marks nor fires. This creates a contradiction: if the explosion really occurred, why are there no physical traces? Possible explanations include an explosion at a high altitude, the destruction of the object in the air before it fell to the ground, or the fact that the recorded sound was not related to the fall of an object in the inspected zone. None of these assumptions has been officially confirmed.

### Context and expert assessment

The series of incidents involving unidentified UAVs in Moldova's airspace throughout September 2026 forms a consistent picture of growing tension. The recurring nature of the events — from the sighting of single objects to powerful explosions near the capital — indicates that this is not a matter of isolated episodes but of a systemic phenomenon. At the same time, the absence of public statements about the affiliation of the objects, the inability of the Ministry of Defense to intercept or even record some of them, and the lack of physical evidence on the ground make both the operational assessment of the threat and the informing of the population difficult. In a situation where the country's airspace has been violated at least three times in one week, the question of the adequacy of Moldova's air defense and airspace monitoring means comes to the fore.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Moldova reports the flyover and explosion of unidentified objects](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/moldovi-povidomili-prolit-ta-vibuh-nevidomih-1789888070.html) - Подтверждает сообщения жителей Березлоджи и Деренеу, действия полиции, отсутствие обломков, а также хронологию инцидентов 12, 18, 19 сентября.
- [Moldova declares a violation of its airspace: witnesses report an object resembling ...](https://censor.net/ru/news/4024331/v-moldove-soobschili-o-neizvestnom-drone-i-vzryve) - Подтверждает факт нарушения воздушного пространства и сообщения очевидцев об объекте, похожем на дрон. Согласуется с данными РБК-Украина.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly happened in Moldova on the night of September 20?
**A:** A resident of the village of Berezlodji (Orhei district) at around 1:50 a.m. reported to the police a flying object resembling a drone. At around 2:00 a.m., a resident of the village of Dereneu (Calarasi district) reported a bright light and an explosion in the sky. The police conducted inspections but found no debris or impact marks.

### Q: Have any debris or traces of falling objects been found?
**A:** No. As a result of the inspection of the terrain in the specified areas, including areas outside the settlements, no debris, impact marks, or fires were found.

### Q: Is this the first such incident in Moldova in September 2026?
**A:** No. On September 12, Moldova temporarily closed part of its airspace due to a UAV from the direction of Ukraine. On the night of September 18, a powerful explosion was heard near the village of Colonita. On the morning of September 19, several unidentified drones were recorded in the Stefan-Voda area.

### Q: Was the Ministry of Defense of Moldova able to intercept or record the objects?
**A:** The Ministry of Defense of Moldova was unable to record a combat unmanned aerial vehicle with explosives that fell near Chisinau due to its high speed and low flight altitude. No information is provided on the interception of objects in other incidents.

### Q: What is the affiliation of the detected objects?
**A:** The affiliation of the objects has not been officially established. The statement on the closure of airspace on September 12 mentioned that the UAV flew in from the direction of Ukraine, however, for the incidents of September 18–20, the source and affiliation of the objects have not been disclosed.