The implementation of Moldova’s MD-Alert emergency warning system will cost approximately €5 million and is still ongoing, President Maia Sandu said at a press conference following a meeting of the Supreme Security Council.
Until the system becomes operational, authorities must use alternative methods to warn the public in emergency situations, Sandu said.
“The Republic of Moldova will continue to develop its defense capabilities, protect the freedoms it has gained, and safeguard its peaceful future and its citizens. We will also identify ways to warn the population in crisis situations until the MD-Alert system becomes operational. The implementation of this system, which costs €5 million, will take some more time to complete. Therefore, I have asked institutions to identify alternative methods of rapid communication, including digital ones,” the president said.
The estimated €5 million cost of MD-Alert includes maintenance for the first five years and is covered by a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, according to government information.
Sandu also said Moldova has portable anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-aircraft machine guns and electronic warfare capabilities designed to counter drones.
“These capabilities are operational, but their range is limited to protecting critical infrastructure that provides essential services for the functioning of the economy,” the president said.
Moldova is also facing a critical situation in the energy and hydrological sectors, and authorities are expected to introduce a state of emergency in these areas, according to Sandu.