Drone crashes into tree in Moldova, explodes
A powerful explosion occurred near the Moldovan border with Ukraine, and fragments of what may have been a combat drone were found at the scene. The drone caught fire after it crashed, scattering its fragments over a large area and damaging several farms in the village.
**Drone crashes into tree in Moldova**
Moldovan police said a drone crashed into a tree on August 9 near the village of Krokmaz in the Stefan Vode district.
Initially, a loud explosion was heard in the area, followed by a fire in dry vegetation. Police, firefighters, and technical and explosives experts arrived at the scene.
An investigation revealed that the drone had crashed into a wooded area outside the settlement. According to preliminary findings, the explosion occurred at a height of about 2.5 meters above the ground, after the drone hit a tree.
The explosion scattered fragments of the drone over a large area. According to police, several farms in the village of Krokmaz were also damaged. No injuries were reported.
During the inspection of the scene, experts identified a number of fragments that may belong to a combat unmanned aerial vehicle. It was noted that some of the characteristics of the fragments found are similar to components of a guided missile. Therefore, according to preliminary assumptions, the crashed device may belong to the “drone-missile” type.
Officers of the police’s explosives department were involved in determining the exact type of device. Law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation to determine where the drone came from and under what circumstances it landed on Moldovan territory.
According to the Moldovan Ministry of Defense, a total of 28 fragments of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles have been detected in the country since the start of Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine. Among them were fragments of Iranian-made Shahed drones and Russian Gerbera unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the ministry, in 12 cases, the drones found on Moldovan territory were equipped with explosives.