Alert in Galați: Radar signal detected in the Târgu Bujor Area / Moldova: Drone arrived from the direction of Ukraine / Romanian Defence Ministry Provides details

UPDATE: Romanian Defence Ministry on the drone incident in Galați – No debris or signs of impact found

The Romanian Air Force IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter currently flying over the Târgu Bujor–Matca area in Galați County has so far identified no signs of impact and has found no debris or other elements indicating that an object may have fallen on Romanian territory, according to the Ministry of National Defence.

According to MApN, the air alert issued on Monday morning ended at 8:52 a.m., and the two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft returned and landed at the 86th Air Base in Borcea.

The incident was first reported on Monday morning, at around 6:00 a.m., when the Defence Ministry’s radar surveillance system detected intermittent signals in Moldovan airspace, in the Cahul area.

One of the signals subsequently appeared in the Târgu Bujor area of Galați County. Authorities sent a RO-Alert emergency message to the population, while two F-16 fighter jets and an IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter were scrambled to monitor the situation.

The military helicopter is continuing checks in the Târgu Bujor–Matca area in order to clarify the situation and determine whether there are any traces of an object that may have entered Romanian national airspace.

So far, MApN says no debris, signs of impact or other elements indicating that an object fell on Romanian territory have been identified.

UPDATE: Drone arrived from the direction of Ukraine

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Moldova said its airspace monitoring systems detected an unidentified drone entering Moldova’s national airspace from the direction of Ukraine and crossing the state border.

The drone entered Moldovan airspace at 5:55 a.m., flying from the direction of Vinogradovka, Odesa region, toward the city of Vulcănești, in Moldova’s Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit.

At 6:09 a.m., it was recorded leaving Moldovan airspace from the direction of Pașcani, Cahul district, toward Romania, near the locality of Vlădești, Galați County.

For this reason, Moldova temporarily restricted its national airspace in the southern part of the country for approximately 15 minutes, after which it was reopened.

“The unauthorized overflight occurred following the Russian Federation’s air attacks on Ukraine during the night. National authorities, together with their partners, continue to monitor the airspace in order to ensure the safety of the population,” Moldova’s Ministry of Defence said.

Initial report

According to the cited source, one of the detected signals later appeared in the Târgu Bujor area of Galați County.

To monitor the situation, two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft from the 86th Air Base in Borcea, as well as an IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter, were scrambled.

The National Military Command Centre notified Romania’s General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) that measures should be implemented to alert the population in the affected area.

A RO-Alert emergency message was sent at 6:12 a.m.