The commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Friday, February 10, that two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles crossed the airspace of Romania and the Republic of Moldova on their way to Ukraine. The Romanian Ministry of Defence (MApN) denied the information, however, and said the missile did not cross Romania but flew some 35 km northeast of the country's border. On the other hand, Moldova said a missile did enter its airspace on Friday morning.

"Today, February 10, at 10:18 a.m., two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles crossed the state border of Ukraine with the Republic of Moldova. At approximately 10:33 a.m., these missiles crossed the airspace of Romania. After that, the missiles again entered the airspace of Ukraine at the crossing point of the borders of the three states," the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said, adding that the missiles were launched from the Black Sea area.

Today, Feb 10, at 10:18 a.m., two russian Kalibr cruise missiles crossed the state border of🇺🇦 with 🇲🇩. At 10:33 a.m., these missiles crossed the airspace of🇷🇴. After that, the missiles again entered the airspace of🇺🇦 at the crossing point of the borders of the three states.

— Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (@CinC_AFU) February 10, 2023

However, Romania's Defence Ministry denied the report. In an official answer, it said that the Romanian Air Force's surveillance system detected an air target, most likely a cruise missile launched from a Russian ship in the Black Sea, near the Crimean Peninsula, which flew over Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and re-entered the Ukrainian airspace "without intersecting, at any time, the airspace of Romania."

"The closest the target trajectory got to Romania's airspace was recorded by the radar at roughly 35 kilometres northeast of the border," MApN said.

Meanwhile, neighboring Moldova's Defence Ministry said a missile was detected while crossing the country's airspace.

"The responsible structures within the institution detected, at 10:18 a.m., a missile that crossed the airspace of the Republic of Moldova over the town of Mocra in the Transnistrian region and, later, over the town of Cosauți in the Soroca district, heading towards Ukraine," reads the official announcement. It also said that the Defence Ministry strongly condemns the violation of the airspace of the Republic of Moldova.

A similar situation occurred in October last year when three Russian missiles launched from ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova's territory on their way to Ukraine. They flew less than 100 km from the Romanian border.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Michele Ursi/Dreamstime.com)