Moldova finds crater and wreckage after Russian Banderol missile explodes

The incident forced Moldovan authorities to close the airspace over the central part of the country for about 15 minutes.

Investigators located the impact and explosion site in a cornfield outside the village of Talmaza in Stefan Voda District. The crater measured about 2 meters across and 50 centimeters deep, while the blast affected an area roughly 45 by 20 meters, police said.

The wreckage included parts of a servo control system and a turbojet engine assembly. Investigators also recovered numerous pieces of the aircraft’s fiberglass body and shattered electronic modules believed to be part of its control system.

A preliminary assessment found that the components resembled those used in turbojet-powered drone-missiles.

Police said they could not yet conclusively identify the UAV because they lacked information about its technical and tactical specifications and found no identifying markings. Further forensic testing and specialized examinations will seek to establish the aircraft’s precise type, technical characteristics and the full circumstances of the incident.

Moldova’s National Army said the object disappeared from radar near Talmaza. An explosion was detected about 3 kilometers from the village, after which dry grass caught fire.

The Dikoie Pridnestrovie Telegram channel reported that the missile entered the unrecognized region of Transnistria. Residents of Pervomaisc, a settlement on the border with Odesa Oblast, heard the explosion.

Before the incident, the Ukrainian Air Force had reported several Banderol missiles flying toward Chornomorsk and Odesa.

Moldova’s Foreign Ministry condemned the airspace violation and the explosion near Talmaza, which sparked wildfires. The ministry said Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine continues to directly affect security in Moldova.

On Aug. 10, Moldovan police reported that a suspected combat UAV had exploded near the village of Crocmaz in Stefan Voda District on Aug. 9, damaging several privately owned properties.

Investigators determined that the drone struck a tree in a wooded strip and exploded about 2.5 meters above the ground. Police said the wreckage resembled guided-missile components and tentatively classified the aircraft as a drone-missile.

It was the first incident involving such a UAV in Moldova. The country’s Foreign Ministry later recalled its ambassador to Moscow for consultations.