Story perspectives

Russian drones close Starokozache border crossing, injuring civilians

9/10/2026

Summary

Russian Drones Strike

Russian drones struck the Starokozache border crossing, killing two civilians and wounding three.
The attack forced the checkpoint’s closure about 500 km south of Kyiv.
Passenger and vehicle traffic were temporarily halted after a major fire.
Moldova’s foreign ministry said a Moldovan driver was injured in the strike.
Russian defence officials reported shooting down 596 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Summary

Moldova Drone Alert

Moldovan Border Police told people hearing drones to stay indoors and call emergency number 112.
Authorities said no drone fragments landed on Moldovan territory, leaving the border area clear.
Sixteen evacuees were bused to a temporary shelter after the Starokozache checkpoint attack.
An errant drone crashed in Rîscani district, igniting four fires without causing casualties.

History

Historical Context

In August 2008 Russia invaded Georgia, bombing Tskhinvali and nearby sites and leaving 45 craters near the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, a conflict that followed Russia’s 2008 recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after earlier 1990s ceasefires. The precedent of cross-border strikes resurfaced in 2024 when Russian drones hit Moldova’s Starokozache checkpoint, injuring civilians and prompting the Moldovan Border Police to order shelter and evacuations.

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Russian Drones Strike

Russian drones struck the Starokozache border crossing, killing two civilians and wounding three.
The attack forced the checkpoint’s closure about 500 km south of Kyiv.
Passenger and vehicle traffic were temporarily halted after a major fire.
Moldova’s foreign ministry said a Moldovan driver was injured in the strike.
Russian defence officials reported shooting down 596 Ukrainian drones overnight.

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