Moldovan police urgently dispatched a bomb disposal unit on Wednesday after being notified that a villager found a drone that had crashed in the village but mistakenly thought it was a toy and took it home.
The incident occurred in the Pepeni community, Singerei district, about 100 kilometers from the capital city, Chisinau. Authorities found the drone had crashed four days earlier and that villagers had already dismantled some of its parts.
Although no explosives or safety risks were found upon inspection, police strongly warned the public against handling or moving any crashed drones or suspicious objects.
Moldovan authorities have not specified the drone's origin but identified it as a "Gerbera" type, typically used in targeted attacks or reconnaissance missions and commonly operated by Russia in Ukraine.
Oleg Cherney, the local mayor, revealed he was the one who alerted officials after seeing the drone being dragged onto a trailer attached to a tractor. In a video clip, he said residents thought it was a toy, so he quickly informed government agencies.
This incident is among several that Moldova has faced since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including drones entering its airspace and multiple drone crashes scattered across the country.
Last week, Moldovan airspace was violated multiple times by unmanned drones amid Russian attacks in Ukraine. A drone was also found stuck on a rooftop in the Floresti district, leading to the Russian ambassador being summoned to Moldova's foreign ministry for explanations.
.source :channelnewsasia
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