One of the Shaheds Launched by Russia into Ukraine Crashes in Moldova: Romania Raises F-16 Fighters
Following another air attack by Russian aggressors on Ukraine, which occurred on the night of February 10th, debris of the Shahed 136 kamikaze drone was found in Moldova. The unmanned aerial vehicle was discovered near the village of Ețulia in the Vulcănești district, not far from the Ukrainian cities of Bolhrad and Reni. The incident was reported on Twitter by the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu.
"Russia's war against Ukraine once again strikes Moldova. Today's discovery of Shahed drone debris in southern Moldova serves as yet another grim reminder of the harsh reality we face. Russia's aggression threatens the entire continent. Support for Ukraine must continue," wrote Sandu.
Local media reported that the combat part of the downed drone did not detonate. The General Police Inspectorate of Moldova reported that during the examination of the debris, sappers found the intact combat part of the drone containing approximately 50 kg of explosives. Explosive ordnance disposal personnel collected and neutralized all the drone debris. The combat part will be safely detonated by sappers in the near future.
Local experts noted that the amount of explosives was sufficient to destroy a private house, damage several buildings, or cause significant damage to a multi-story building if the debris had fallen over a populated area.
It is also reported that after the mentioned drone attacks on Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence of Romania deployed F-16 aircraft for border monitoring.
In particular, F-16 aircraft from the Turkish Air Force's 86th Air Base in Fetești were deployed for reconnaissance missions and monitoring in Romania's airspace, as Russian forces struck unmanned aerial vehicles at Ukrainian port infrastructure in Izmail and Reni near the Ukrainian-Romanian border.
On the night of February 10th, Russian aggressors carried out terrorist attacks, not only in southern Ukraine. The Gaze reported that Russian occupation forces struck Kharkiv using Shahed kamikaze drones. This attack damaged civilian infrastructure and caused several large fires. Later, local authorities reported the deaths of seven civilians, including three children aged 7, 4, and 6 months.