(MENAFN) Britain has announced plans to send specialists in counter-drone warfare to Moldova, according to a statement by the UK Ministry of Defense released on Tuesday.

This move comes just before a scheduled meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

The former Soviet state, which has officially submitted an application to join the European Union, recently unveiled a new military strategy spanning the next decade.

This strategy emphasizes stronger ties with NATO and designates Russia as its main external threat. In response, the Kremlin has cautioned that Moldova’s increasingly adversarial posture toward Russia could be a strategic error.

The Ministry of Defense specified that British personnel will “help train Moldova’s armed forces in counter-drone tactics,” but did not provide additional operational specifics.

The UK’s announcement largely highlighted its ongoing initiatives to advance new combat drone technologies and boost supplies to Ukraine in support of its conflict with Russia.

Russia has frequently pointed to NATO’s gradual eastward expansion, including commitments to eventually include Ukraine, as a fundamental cause of the conflict in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s government, which is pro-European Union, has been accused by opposition parties of authoritarian practices and suppressing political dissent.

Her recent successes in both presidential and parliamentary elections were predominantly driven by votes from Moldovan citizens living abroad in Western Europe, whereas voters within Moldova tended to favor opposition candidates.

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