Sixth Airspace Breach: Drone Crosses via Vulcănești, Debris Found in Romania

A drone entered Moldovan airspace at 05:55 local time on August 24 from the direction of Vynohradivka in Ukraine's Odesa Oblast, crossing over the town of Vulcănești in Moldova's autonomous Gagauzia region before exiting near the village of Pașcani in Cahul district at roughly 06:09, continuing toward Romania. Romanian radar detected the object and scrambled two F-16s and an IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter from the 86th Air Base at Borcea; the air alert lasted until 08:52. The drone was later found crashed into a walnut tree near a home in Ciușlea, Vrancea County, prompting a precautionary evacuation of roughly 300 residents; Romania's Defence Ministry said it carried no explosive payload. It was the sixth confirmed breach of Moldovan airspace since August 9.