Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii said Moldova’s military radars did not detect the drone that crashed near the village of Copanca in the Causeni district because it was flying at low altitude in terrain that limited radar visibility.
Speaking before Wednesday’s government meeting, Nosatii explained that the aircraft was outside the effective detection conditions of the radar systems.
“This drone was not detected by the radars because it was flying at a low altitude and over terrain that did not allow visibility,” the minister said.
The drone crashed at approximately 1:03 a.m. on July 13 near Copanca. Following an inspection, authorities identified it as a Russian-made Geran-2 drone. According to investigators, the impact with the ground caused a fire that burned the drone’s wings and rear section after fuel ignited.
Authorities said the drone’s 40-kilogram explosive warhead, fitted with shrapnel, remained connected to the detonation system but did not explode. Military engineers later carried out a controlled detonation of the explosive payload.
Following the incident, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russian Ambassador-designate Oleg Ozerov and handed him a formal note of protest over the violation of the country’s airspace.
Moldova currently operates two modern radar systems capable of detecting drones. The first, a Ground Master 200 radar purchased from France, entered service at the end of 2023 at a cost of approximately €14–14.5 million, funded by the state budget.
A second, more advanced 3D radar was delivered in early 2026. Installation, calibration, and personnel training were completed in June 2026. The system was provided to Moldova through the European Union’s European Peace Facility as part of a broader security assistance package.