Focus on political and armed violence, 🇲🇩 (the sandwiched country), 🇷🇴, 🇺🇦, Eastern Europe Views here are personal. @cristivlas.mas.to.ap.brid.gy bridge from Mastodonhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mqj2zkkohk2yFollowing Russian attacks on Ukraine's Odesa region, a stray Geran-type drone exploded upon landing near Copanca in southeastern #Moldova. Moldova's MFA firmly condemned Russia's violation of Moldovan airspace and its aggression against Ukraine. https://www.zdg.md/stiri/o-drona-a-explodat-in-copanca-raionul-causeni-preliminar-obiectul-de-zbor-este-de-tip-gheran-2-reactia-mae/13 Jul 2026 06:31 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqj2zkkohk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mqgmcafs6k2h [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 Jul 2026 07:02 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqgmcafs6k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mpq57xjgv22kWho was behind those drone incursions over Europe? https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/07/02/who-was-behind-those-drone-incursions-over-europe03 Jul 2026 08:34 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpq57xjgv22khttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mnn3fexfss24Had the pleasure of talking to Arnout about the drone (in)security situation in Romania and EU's eastern flank for de Volkskrant before the Constanța incident. And it seems correct to say nobody was prepared for the naval drone incident either. [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Jun 2026 16:33 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnn3fexfss24https://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mnmdvqmads2qUntil we get to process all the versions around the naval drone that exploded yesterday in the Black Sea port of Constanța, we can take a look at the clearer picture of the Ukrainian drone overflights in the Baltic region and the Russian drone strike on an apartment building in Galați, Romania.06 Jun 2026 09:33 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnmdvqmads2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mnaamntkac2nCommented last week for BBC Verify: "The strikes mean Russia has been forced to shorten convoys on supply routes as a "quick coping mechanism to reduce potential damage", Cristian Vlas at conflict monitoring group ACLED told BBC Verify. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjp0n7rn41o01 Jun 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnaamntkac2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mmyikoyf5s2zEarly in the morning of 29 May, a Russian Geran-2 drone carrying an explosive charge struck the upper floors of an apartment building in the county seat city of Galați in southeastern Romania, injuring a child and a woman. https://acleddata.com/expert-comment/what-does-russias-drone-hit-mean-romania-and-nato29 May 2026 12:03 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmyikoyf5s2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mmow4dtdks27https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-war-latest-deadly-deep-strikes-target-moscow-as-russia-hits-chinese-owned-ship-12541713?postid=11757007#liveblog-body "The fact that it missed, Vlas said, is "a reminder of how Russia can use a sabre-rattling tool, such as Oreshnik, only to instill fear among civilians rather than inflict actual damage to Ukraine’s military assets."25 May 2026 16:39 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmow4dtdks27https://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mmnzcvwowc2zRussia’s shadow fleet is not only a sanctions-evasion network — it presents a sustained hybrid war threat at sea. To find more how, please check out our latest report https://acleddata.com/report/russias-shadow-fleet-presents-sustained-hybrid-war-threat-sea and don't forget that we have a webinar scheduled for 28 May: https://events.zoom.us/ev/AtHBlR8EjqajAqsHGWTn5NgMnLmk-u-7cOHIpCHuH7d1GRoUMY5k~AtXwNuOjHJsuZsy7HLumAillQi-p_DT95Hc-3iKVp_TkdtUW5VevqJqePA25 May 2026 08:03 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmnzcvwowc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mlqxwb47hk2kDuring a daytime barrage of drones aimed at Ukraine, a Russian drone strays into #Moldova airspace, disappearing from the radar in the south of the country after threatening civil aviation and civilians. Source of the tentative flight route based on MoD reports: Watchdog.md13 May 2026 18:51 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqxwb47hk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mllltrehwc2dCheck out the latest Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview covering how electoral mobilization ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule in Hungary, how rising fuel prices sparked mass protests in Ireland, and how Ukraine continued to target Russia’s oil production: https://acleddata.com/update/europe-and-central-asia-overview-may-202611 May 2026 15:32 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllltrehwc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mldbrfukjs2sModelul Slavonia și dosarul transnistrean. Lecții, diferențe, perspective #Moldova https://karadeniz-press.ro/modelul-slavonia-si-dosarul-transnistrean-lectii-diferente-perspective/08 May 2026 08:10 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldbrfukjs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mldboxlmdc2sUkrainian drones struck the Russian oil refinery and terminal in #Tuapse in late April, causing fires, contamination & evacuations. Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure doubled in April compared to the monthly average over the last 3 months. https://acleddata.com/monitor/ukraine-conflict-monitor?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ukraine_monitor08 May 2026 08:09 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldboxlmdc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/cristivlas.bsky.social/post/3mk6ahxknjs22There was barely a ceasefire and Russia continued its destructive strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure in #Ukraine after 12 April. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Apr 2026 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:nxtrec6onrwbdbzdwfugteca/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk6ahxknjs22