The European Union will extend by one year its military assistance program for the Republic of Moldova, as some non-lethal equipment promised in 2022 for the modernization of Moldova’s Armed Forces has not yet been delivered.
According to a draft decision of the EU Council, obtained by Radio Free Europe and expected to be approved on November 12, the delivery deadline for the €40 million aid package—initially due to expire on December 17, 2025—will be extended until December 2026.
The program, approved on June 30, 2022, under the European Peace Facility (EPF), includes funding for logistics and mobility equipment, such as 33 high-mobility tactical vehicles for Moldova’s three infantry brigades, as well as systems for the Tactical Air Defense Regiment, including unmanned aerial reconnaissance equipment and tactical communication systems.
The EU Council cited delays in the delivery of certain “specific equipment,” without disclosing which items are affected.
In April 2025, the EU supplemented the initial package with an additional €20 million, earmarked for the purchase of lethal weapons—specifically, eight short-range air defense systems, including launchers and about 24 interceptor missiles. Together with the airspace monitoring and communication systems from the first package, these missile batteries are intended to form a comprehensive air defense system, capable of countering drones and other aerial threats.
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments is responsible for implementing both aid packages. During her visit to Chisinau in April, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas (herself Estonian) acknowledged that “there are certain market limitations,” as many countries are currently seeking similar defense systems.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moldovan authorities have repeatedly urged European partners to provide air defense systems, after several drones and missiles from the war in Ukraine fell on Moldovan territory.
The most recent such incident occurred on the night of February 12–13, when three Russian drones crashed near Tomai, Ceadir-Lunga, and Taraclia, close to a district hospital; two of them exploded on impact.
Moldova is currently the second-largest beneficiary of EU military assistance under the European Peace Facility, an off-budget fund through which the EU has also allocated billions of euros in aid to Ukraine.