Ministry of Defense: Gheran-2 drone crashed in Copanca to be safely detonated by sappers

Gheran-2 (Shahed-136) drone of Russian origin, which crashed on the night of July 13 near the village of Copanca, Căușeni district will be safely detonated by National Army sappers after specialists determined that it still contains an active explosive charge.

According to the Ministry of Defense, specialists of Codru Engineering Battalion, dispatched to the site, carried out an inspection and technical analysis of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Following the checks, they established that it is a Gheran-2 drone of Russian origin.

According to preliminary conclusions, as a result of the impact with the ground and the fire caused by the fuel in the tank, the wings and the rear part of the drone were destroyed by flames. However, the warhead remained connected to the system and did not detonate.

The sappers specified that the drone is equipped with an explosive charge of approximately 40 kilograms, fitted with shrapnel, which is why it will be destroyed by controlled detonation under maximum safety conditions.

The Ministry of Defense also reported that the drone weighs 248.2 kilograms.

The incident occurred in the context of air attacks launched by the Russian Federation on the Odesa region of Ukraine. The authorities urged citizens not to approach suspicious flying objects and to immediately notify the 112 Service, keeping a safe distance.

 
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the airspace of the Republic of Moldova has been unauthorizedly overflown more than 40 times. The authorities in Chișinău have sent protest notes to the designated ambassador of the Russian Federation, emphasizing that although the drones do not directly target the Republic of Moldova, their trajectories – associated with attacks on Ukraine – pose an increased risk to national security.