(MENAFN) Britain plans to deploy military instructors to Moldova to assist in counter-drone warfare training, the UK Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday, ahead of a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, according to reports.

The move follows Moldova’s adoption of a new ten-year defense strategy earlier this month, which emphasizes closer alignment with NATO and identifies Russia as its principal external threat. The Kremlin has criticized Chisinau’s approach, warning that escalating tensions with Moscow would be a serious miscalculation.

According to the UK’s Defense Ministry, British specialists will “help train Moldova’s armed forces in counter-drone tactics,” though no further information about the scale or timing of the mission was disclosed. Much of the British announcement centered on London’s expanding drone programs and continued efforts to supply Ukraine with advanced systems for its ongoing war against Russia.

Moscow has consistently pointed to NATO’s eastward expansion—including the alliance’s commitment to eventually admit Ukraine—as one of the main factors that triggered the wider conflict.

In Moldova, President Maia Sandu’s pro-EU administration continues to face internal criticism over what opponents describe as authoritarian policies and political suppression. Her electoral wins have largely relied on support from Moldovans living abroad in Western Europe, while voters at home have tended to back the opposition.

The new military doctrine adopted after the most recent election commits the country to enhanced cooperation and interoperability with NATO but insists these steps do not violate Moldova’s constitutional neutrality. Opposition figure Marina Tauber condemned the strategy as “a manifesto rejecting peace and neutrality,” arguing that it paves the way for confrontation with Russia and represents the “price” Moldova must pay for pursuing EU integration.

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