FILE PHOTO: Members of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service patrol along the Ukraine-Moldova border, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region, Ukraine January 10, 2024. REUTERS/Sergey Smolentsev/File Photo
CHISINAU (Reuters) - Police on Sunday found fragments of a Russian drone alongside the Moldova border with Ukraine, prompting pro-European President Maia Sandu to renew her support for Kyiv in its nearly two-year-old war with Moscow.
The war has buffeted Moldova, with periodic reports of weapon fragments found on the territory of the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. Sandu, whose main policy goal is securing European Union membership, has singled out Russia and corruption as the two greatest threats to her country.
A police statement said the fragments were found near the village of Etulia. Pictures posted online showed three piles of shattered pieces of metal and electronic parts lying in a field. The area had been cordoned off, with no danger to residents.
The statement quoted Ukrainian authorities as saying the Iranian-made Shahed drone had been downed on Friday en route to Ukraine's Danube port of Ismail, a frequent Russian target.
"Russia’s war on Ukraine hits close to home in Moldova — again," Sandu wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"The discovery of Shahed drone debris in southern Moldova today serves as another stark reminder of the grim reality we face. Russia’s aggression endangers the entire continent. Support for Ukraine must continue," Sandu said.
Reuters could not independently verify the incident and Russian authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sandu has accused Russia of trying to remove her in a coup. The Kremlin accuses her of engaging in Russophobia.
(Reporting by Ronald Popeski; Editing by Mark Porter)
