As the war in Ukraine approaches another anniversary, many European governments are engaged in military modernization programs, expanding their defense budgets and also continuing to assist the Ukrainian armed forces. With its Constitution, which calls for permanent neutrality, and led by pro-Europe President Maia Sandu, the Republic of Moldova continues to support Kyiv diplomatically and by assisting Ukrainian refugees.
Despite its limited budget, the Moldovan military is also undergoing a modernization process by focusing on acquiring critical platforms & systems and increasing the troops’ professionalism. The Ministry of Defense acquired a radar system from France to improve control of the airspace, a logical and strategic decision as Russian drones & missiles have crossed through Moldovan airspace and even crashed in Moldovan territory. In January, the Ministry announced that a new batch of purchased equipment will arrive “in the coming months” for artillery training, communication, and the country’s participation in peacekeeping missions. Donations from allies and partners are also critical. Germany, for example, has donated a fleet of Mowag Piranha-3H armored personnel carriers.
Besides acquiring new hardware, Moldovan troops have increased training with European armed forces, while the United States North Carolina National Guard has a strong partnership with the Moldovan military, thanks to the Guard’s State Partnership Program. The objective is to further increase the capabilities of Moldovan troops, an objective of the Ministry of Defense’s 2030 plan. Increasing military-to-military relations is another objective; recent high-level meetings between Chisinau and the defense ministries of partner nations include Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, and Turkiye.
Besides being prepared to protect Moldova’s sovereignty and integrity, the armed forces have an essential daily task: survey the country’s territory and remove explosives. Ironically, this ongoing operation is not related to the current war in Ukraine or even the short-lived war against separatist Transnistria in 1992.
Instead, Moldova’s territory continues to be littered with mines, explosives, and unexploded ordnance, a legacy from World War II. The Moldovan Ministry of Defense regularly posts updates about explosives found by farmers or construction workers during excavations or by military engineers searching for this equipment. Recently, soldiers removed a 50 mm caliber bomb, artillery shells, four warheads, and two rifle grenades. Throughout November 2024, military personnel removed and destroyed 14 hand grenades, a grenade launcher, an artillery shell, and 2,117 cartridges across the municipalities of Ungheni, Dubăsari, Ştefan Vodă and Anenii Noi. Given that it is impossible to know how much equipment was left behind by the combatants during the war, this may be a never-ending mission.
Chisinau wants to increase its global footprint by also engaging in another critical mission: peacekeeping. The Moldovan military is involved in peacekeeping operations, primarily the NATO-led mission in Kosovo (KFOR) and also several United Nations peacekeeping missions. The list is growing.
Moldova contributes around 40 personnel to the multinational NATO mission in Kosovo. The current contingent KFOR-22, numbering 41 troops, is already in the Balkan country and assigned to the Regional Command-West out of the Camp Vilaggio Italia multinational base, where they operate alongside the Italian contingent. The 41 soldiers that constituted the 21st contingent, KFOR-21, returned home this past January. The European country has participated in KFOR since 2014. Additionally, as of 31 October 2024, the latest data provided by UN Peacekeeping, shows that Moldova has deployed five personnel to the mission in Sudan (UNMISS), four to the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and one to the mission in Kosovo (UNMISS).
Moreover, in July 2024, the Moldovan Parliament approved the participation of the Moldovan military in Operation Althea, the European Union’s military operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The first contingent of peacekeepers is already in the country. The deployments to both Althea and KFOR last for six months. In January, Major General Florin Barbu from Romania assumed command of Operation Althea, and the commander of the Moldovan army, Brigadier General Vitalie Micov, participated in the ceremony. This was an ideal opportunity for the Moldovan high command to interact with the senior commanders of Althea while the peacekeepers got accustomed to their new mission. Participating in peacekeeping operations is a good way for Moldovan troops to gain additional experience in potential combat situations.
A couple of developments are worth explaining in detail. First, this past November, Moldova hosted the first “Moldova Security Forum” in Chisinau. The speakers included Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi, NATO Assistant Secretary-General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, and Royal United Services Institute Distinguished Fellow Oana Lungescu. Government officials, members of Moldova’s Parliament, ambassadors, and representatives of civic society were in attendance. The event was organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office in Moldova, the NATO Liaison Office in Moldova, and the Institute for European Policies and Reforms.
It is unclear if this will be a one-time event or if Chisinau will make the Forum an annual gathering. The second option could help Moldova’s international recognition grow in defense issues. For example, the Munich Security Conference has become the go-to meeting for discussions about pressing global defense and security issues. With sufficient (financial) backing and vision, the Moldova Security Forum could become a niche-gathering forum for discussing Eastern European defense and security issues.
Second, training for peacekeeping missions demands learning a particular skill set; hence, engaging with relevant international agencies is a priority. In early February, the head of the Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Walter Jeanty, met with General Micov. Jeanty and General Micov signed a Collaboration Plan for 2025, which includes training activities in the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) field for Moldovan personnel, particularly “training of soldiers who are to be deployed in international peacekeeping missions.” The meeting and agreement follow up on a November 2024 agreement between the two sides regarding fire prevention and control at ammunition depots. Throughout 2024, the Red Cross has also provided firefighting equipment and training sessions on IHL for Moldovan troops.
Chisinau aims to demonstrate its respect for IHL; the country is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols. Moreover, the government has established the National Commission on International Humanitarian Law (Comisia naţională de drept internaţional umanitar; CNDIU), a permanent advisory body to respect and implement IHL, which includes a representative from the Ministry of Defense.
In March 2022, the ICRC established a permanent delegation in Moldova to address humanitarian needs arising from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. A strong relationship with the Red Cross is highly beneficial for the Moldovan military. Benefits include improved capacity of military personnel to provide aid during crises, strengthened readiness for natural or man-made crises, and lesser chance of committing war crimes during conflicts by knowing and adhering to IHL.
Since the war in Ukraine commenced, the Republic of Moldova has attracted global attention as President Sandu has steadfastly supported Kyiv. The recent energy crisis in Transnistria, Moldova’s separatist, pro-Moscow region, is also making headlines. Because of the geographical proximity of Moldova to Ukraine, not to mention statements by some Russian policymakers vis-à-vis Moldova and the pro-Moscow Transnistrian separatist region, it is necessary to monitor the status of the Moldovan military, including the modernization of the troops and equipment.
However, as this analysis has demonstrated, Moldovan troops have other missions besides preparing for a worst-case scenario. Protecting the population from the deadly legacy of World War II is a daily task. Moreover, the country is increasing its global footprint by participating in peacekeeping missions like KFOR and Operation Althea. To expand on the country’s motto, Moldova is a small country with a big heart and an ambitious military.
