Full Breakdown

Russian Drones Strike Ukraine-Moldova Border Crossing, Killing Two Civilians

9/9/2026, 10:30:29 AM

The Attack at Starokozache Crossing

On September 9, Russian drones struck the Starokozache international road border crossing in Odesa Oblast, the gateway between Ukraine and Moldova. Governor Oleh Kiper said via Telegram that two civilians were killed and three were injured. The drones ignited a major fire, damaging the crossing’s infrastructure and prompting a temporary halt to passenger and vehicle traffic.

Ukrainian emergency services reported that Russian drones also hit Kyiv overnight, setting fire to a 16-storey building. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the strike and the deployment of responders. While one outlet reported no casualties, other sources listed five deaths in the capital.

The day before the September 9 attack, a Shahed-type drone entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace, leading NATO-deployed fighter jets to scramble and Romanian authorities to issue emergency shelter warnings. Earlier this year, NATO fighters shot down a suspected Russian drone near the Moldovan border, and a Russian cruise missile entered Moldovan airspace before crashing in a cornfield. These incidents illustrate a pattern of Russian UAV incursions near Ukraine’s western borders.

Starokozache crossing casualties: 2 dead, 3 injured (Governor Oleh Kiper, Telegram).

Infrastructure impact: fire at the border crossing; fire and damage to a 16-storey building in Kyiv; suspension of border processing for people and vehicles.

Governor Oleh Kiper (Telegram) confirmed the civilian deaths, injuries, and the temporary closure of the crossing, adding that Ukrainian authorities had informed Moldova of the incident.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko (Telegram) described the drone strike on the Kyiv building and the immediate response of emergency services.

Ukrainian border guard service announced the suspension of operations at Starokozache and communicated the situation to Moldovan officials.

Kyiv casualty figures: Straitstimes reported “no casualties,” whereas Kyiv Independent and BBC reported “five people were killed.” The discrepancy reflects differing on-the-ground assessments and remains unresolved.

Damage assessment: Authorities have not released a detailed tally of structural damage at the crossing or in Kyiv beyond the fires mentioned.

The strike on a major border crossing threatens the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial traffic between Ukraine and Moldova, a non-NATO neighbor that has repeatedly voiced concern over spillover effects.

Repeated drone incursions into Moldovan and Romanian airspace raise the risk of broader regional escalation and underscore NATO’s heightened air-policing role in Eastern Europe.

“Today, Russia carried out a strike on the media, journalists.” — Volodymyr Zelensky, president — President Volodymyr Zelensky, president “Today, Russia carried out a strike on the media, journalists.”