A missile fragment has been found in Moldova after the Russian missile attack on Ukraine for the fourth time.

"The border patrol police have discovered a fragment of a missile launched as a result of Russian air attacks on Ukraine near the sector of the Larga (Briceni district) border police," as Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova reports.

The zone where the fragment fell is currently secured, bomb disposal experts and prosecutors are going to the scene now. 

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has pointed out that it is the fourth case when missile fragments from the bombardment of Ukraine fell in Moldova.

"As in previous cases, all necessary actions are performed in accordance with procedures of the bodies, responsible for security and defence of citizens," the statement says. 

On 14 February, Moldova closed its airspace for some time in order to ensure the security of its citizens after an unidentified flying object resembling a weather balloon was detected in the north of Moldova.

Later, Igor Grosu, Head of the Moldovan Parliament, revealed that the air space was closed because of the air target information, which official Chișinău received from the Ukrainian government. 

Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force of Ukraine, reported that Ukraine detected Russian reconnaissance balloons with angled reflectors in the Ukrainian airspace on 14 February. Russia uses these flying targets to conduct surveillance and distract Ukrainian air defence units.

Ihnat has not ruled out that these balloons could have gone to the territory of neighbouring countries.