Authorities in Moldova say they have destroyed explosives discovered in a part of a Shahed drone that crashed on its territory from the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Police said that 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of explosives were discovered during an investigation of the Shahed drone parts found on Sunday at a crash site near Moldova’s southern town of Etulia, close to the border with Ukraine.

All of the drone components have been collected and defused, police said.

Border police suspect the debris came from one of the drones that was shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system during overnight attacks launched on Friday by Russian forces on Ukraine’s Izmail region.

The distance between Etulia and Izmail is about 40 kilometres (25 miles).

Moldova’s foreign minister Mihai Popsoi condemned Russia’s “constant barbaric attacks” against Ukraine, which he said directly affects Moldova.

“Remnants of Shahed drone, found today in the south of the country near the border, are a stark reminder of the violence and destruction sown by the Kremlin,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

It is the latest incident from the war to rattle non-Nato Moldova, which became a European Union candidate member in June 2022.

Last year, Moldova also discovered missile and rocket fragments several times on its territory, some of which also contained explosives and required controlled detonations.

Since the war in Ukraine started on February 24 2022, Moldova says it has faced a multitude of problems including a severe energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced gas supplies, along with skyrocketing inflation and what officials have routinely said are attempts by Moscow to destabilise the country.

Russia denies the accusations.