Moldova’s Ministry of Defense said three cruise missiles fired by Russian armed forces at Ukrainian territory had crossed Moldovan air space.
The incident took place between 8:33 and 9:02 a.m. (UTC +3) on October 10, 2022, according to a statement issued by Moldova’s Ministry of Defense.
“The specialized structures of the Ministry identified three missiles that flew over the airspace of Moldova,” the ministry said, adding that the incident has also been confirmed by both Romania and Ukraine.
“The missiles posed a danger to the infrastructure of the Republic of Moldova and, in particular, to civil aircraft flying over the country’s airspace,” the ministry further explained.
The missiles were launched at Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea.
“The Ministry of Defense, in collaboration with the responsible structures in the country, closely monitors the situation in the region, and strongly condemns the attacks of the Russian army on the cities of Ukraine,” the statement concludes.
In response, Moldova’s foreign minister Nicu Popescu said he had already asked Russia’s ambassador to explain the situation.
“Moldova condemns in strongest possible terms violation of its airspace by three Russian cruise missiles as Russia attacked Ukrainian cities this morning,” the minister said in a tweet.
It is likely that the missiles were a part of a large-scale strike on Ukrainian civilian targets conducted by the Russian military during the morning of October 10, 2022. A number of reports indicate that major Ukrainian population centers were targeted, resulting in significant casualties.