Police and the district council reported that a combat drone fell in the area of Crocmaz village in the Stefan Voda district of Moldova, near the border with Ukraine.
A powerful explosion occurred on the afternoon of August 9, igniting dry vegetation. Specialists from the technical and explosive ordnance department determined that the device fell in a forest belt outside the settlement. Preliminary data suggests the explosion occurred at a height of about 2.5 meters after the drone struck a tree.
Debris scattered over a significant area, damaging several farmsteads in Crocmaz. The area has been cordoned off, and the fragments will be sent for examination.
Police have not yet identified the exact type of device. Specialists note that the fragments have characteristics similar to components of a guided missile, so preliminary assessments suggest it may be a so-called "drone-missile."
According to Moldova's Defense Ministry, as of late July 2026, fragments of 28 missiles and drones, including Iranian Shaheds and Russian Gerbers, have been found in the country since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. In 12 cases, the drones were equipped with explosives.