Lyce · Hybrid Watch
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Unidentified drone crosses Romanian airspace and crashes near Botoșenița Mare, Suceava County.
On 12 September 2026, a drone entered northeastern Romania after previously crossing Ukrainian and Moldovan airspace and ultimately crashed in a cornfield near Botoșenița Mare in Suceava County. Moldova’s National Army reported that the UAV entered Moldovan airspace from Ukraine at 15:26, was observed near Vasilcău in Soroca District, disappeared from radar near Băxani and was detected again at 16:03 near Cuconeștii Noi in Edineț District. Moldova temporarily restricted civilian airspace in response. Ukrainian and Moldovan air-operation centres subsequently warned Romania that the drone was heading toward the country’s northeast. Romania scrambled two F-16 fighters from the 86th Borcea Air Base, while authorities issued a RO-Alert warning for Botoșani County at 16:20. During the same period, residents reported a drone flying over Știubieni, confirming that the aircraft had penetrated Romanian territory. Romanian Interior Ministry personnel later located the crashed aircraft in a cornfield near Botoșenița Mare. The impact caused a small fire and produced a crater approximately one metre in diameter and 30 centimetres deep, but no casualties were reported; an SRI pyrotechnics team was dispatched to examine the wreckage.
E/M/R/S scores
- EExistence0/4 · Not assessed
- MIntent0/4 · Not assessed
- RRussian actor link0/4 · Not assessed
- SRussian state responsibility0/4 · Not assessed
Facts
No facts
Sources
-
- Role
- discovery_lead
- Date
- 2026-09-12T08:30:38Z
On 12 September 2026, a drone entered northeastern Romania after previously crossing Ukrainian and Moldovan airspace and ultimately crashed in a cornfield near Botoșenița Mare in Suceava County. Moldova’s National Army reported that the UAV entered Moldovan airspace from Ukraine at 15:26, was observed near Vasilcău in Soroca District, disappeared from radar near Băxani and was detected again at 16:03 near Cuconeștii Noi in Edineț District. Moldova temporarily restricted civilian airspace in response. Ukrainian and Moldovan air-operation centres subsequently warned Romania that the drone was heading toward the country’s northeast. Romania scrambled two F-16 fighters from the 86th Borcea Air Base, while authorities issued a RO-Alert warning for Botoșani County at 16:20. During the same period, residents reported a drone flying over Știubieni, confirming that the aircraft had penetrated Romanian territory. Romanian Interior Ministry personnel later located the crashed aircraft in a cornfield near Botoșenița Mare. The impact caused a small fire and produced a crater approximately one metre in diameter and 30 centimetres deep, but no casualties were reported; an SRI pyrotechnics team was dispatched to examine the wreckage.