Residents of Colonița and Bubuieci reported a powerful blast and strong flash at 04:20 on Sept. 18. Moldovan police searched several nearby localities, including Humulești, Dolinnoe, and Maximovca, but have not yet located an impact site or the object that caused the explosion.

Authorities deployed drone teams to determine the trajectory of the unidentified object in coordination with the Ministry of Defence. A drone crash or detonation is the most likely cause of the blast, which was heard in Chișinău, 10 km from Colonița, though the government has not officially confirmed the nature of the object.