American Stinger defense systems were allegedly found in the truck stopped in Albita, according to Renato Usatii, Vice President of the Parliamentary Commission for Defense, Security and Public Order. He suspects that the systems may have entered the Republic of Moldova from Ukraine, as Western states previously supplied similar equipment to the neighboring country.
Usatii argues that both the Moldovan and Ukrainian parliaments should hold hearings on the matter. He also insists that authorities and special services in Chisinau, Bucharest, and Kyiv must jointly investigate the case.
“I want to inform you that some of the ammunition found in this truck consists of FIM-92 Stinger systems. For those who are not experts or military personnel, this is a very dangerous type of weapon. It is a portable surface-to-air system with a range of up to 4.8 km. Such weapons do not exist on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. If, for example, it were something from the Soviet era, we could claim it came from Transnistria and treat it as a problem. But according to public information, over 3,000 units of this type of portable anti-aircraft system have been transferred from the United States to Ukraine,” Usatii said from the Parliament podium.
The deputy also announced that the Defense Commission will meet on Wednesday and that he will propose adding this issue to the meeting’s agenda.
On Thursday morning, the Bucharest press reported that Romanian authorities detained a truck carrying weapons in Albita on November 20, at around 1:30 a.m. A Moldovan citizen was behind the wheel. The customs declaration claimed the container trailer was transporting metallic elements.
Later, the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova confirmed the information published by the Romanian press. The institution stated that prosecutors had been notified and that a Moldovan official had raised suspicions about the cargo, prompting Romanian authorities—who have the scanner—to conduct checks.