Russian Missiles and Drones Hit Moldova Overnight, Sandu Says War Is Nearing

Five Russian aerial weapons violated Moldovan airspace and exploded on the country's territory overnight into Saturday, October 3, 2026, Moldovan officials said. President Maia Sandu announced the incident on social media, and Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatyi specified the breakdown: three missiles and two drones.

According to the Kyiv Independent, Nosatyi said the five incidents consisted of three missiles and two drones. No casualties or material damage were reported by Moldovan authorities following police and military inspections of the sites.

Where the strikes occurred

Explosions and drone sightings were reported near a string of villages in southeastern and central Moldova, including Crocmaz, Stefan Voda, Delacau, Puhaceni, Anenii Noi, Bozieni, Hincesti, Dubovca, Constantinovca and Causeni, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing Moldovan sources. Belgian outlet RTBF reported that explosions were also heard in villages in the country's southeast.

The incursions coincided with a wider Russian overnight assault on Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent reported that Russia launched 157 Shahed and Gerbera-type drones against Ukrainian targets during the same attack, suggesting some of the weapons that entered Moldovan airspace were linked to strikes aimed at Ukraine rather than at Moldova itself.

Sandu: "Moscow must be stopped"

Sandu said the war was dangerously approaching Moldova and that the five weapons, including Banderol missiles and drones, had violated the country's airspace and exploded on its territory, according to Belgian outlets DHnet and RTBF, which reported she posted the statement on social media shortly after the incident.

Moldova's foreign ministry summoned Russia's ambassador over the violations, Swedish outlet Sweden Herald reported, adding that this marked the second time in a matter of days that Moldova had called in the Russian envoy over airspace incidents. No Russian government response to the specific October 3 incident was reported in the sources reviewed.

A recurring pattern since the war began

Moldova, a European Union candidate country that borders both Ukraine and Romania but is not a NATO member, has repeatedly reported Russian drones or debris crossing into its territory since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Sweden Herald reported that Moldovan authorities have recorded "dozens" of such intrusions this year alone, prompting repeated temporary airspace closures.

Moldova does not have the air-defense systems of a NATO member, leaving it reliant on diplomatic protest — such as summoning ambassadors — when Russian weapons cross its border. Sandu's government has repeatedly framed the intrusions as evidence that the war in Ukraine poses a direct risk to neighboring states, even those not formally part of the conflict.

What remains unconfirmed

None of the sources reviewed reported Russian casualties, Moldovan casualties, structural damage, or an official statement from Moscow addressing the October 3 incursion specifically. The precise flight paths and intended targets of the five weapons that entered Moldovan airspace were not disclosed by Moldovan authorities in the material available.