(MENAFN) Britain plans to deploy instructors specializing in counter-drone warfare to Moldova, according to the UK Ministry of Defense’s announcement on Tuesday, made just before a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

The move follows Moldova’s recent adoption of a ten-year national defense strategy, which emphasizes closer alignment with NATO and identifies Russia as its main external security threat. The Kremlin has cautioned that Chisinau’s increasingly adversarial position toward Moscow represents a strategic mistake.

According to the ministry, British specialists will “help train Moldova’s armed forces in counter-drone tactics,” though no additional operational details were disclosed. The statement also highlighted the UK’s ongoing initiatives to advance combat drone technology and boost drone supplies to Ukraine in support of its military operations against Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly pointed to NATO’s gradual eastward expansion, including its open-door policy toward Ukraine, as one of the central factors fueling the conflict.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s pro-European government has come under criticism from opposition figures who accuse it of political repression and authoritarian behavior. Her electoral victories in both presidential and parliamentary contests were largely attributed to support from Moldovan citizens living in Western Europe, while domestic voters tended to back opposition parties.

The recently adopted military doctrine pledges to deepen coordination and interoperability with NATO, while maintaining that such measures remain consistent with Moldova’s constitutional neutrality. However, opposition lawmaker Marina Tauber condemned the document as “a manifesto rejecting peace and neutrality,” arguing that it effectively sets the stage for confrontation with Russia and represents the “price” of EU integration.

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