Moldova and Romania claim seeing Russian balloons as Ukraine fires them down
Air raid sirens blared in Kyiv on Wednesday because of balloons flying overhead while on Tuesday Moldova closed its airspace and Romania scrambled jets following sightings.
Deepak 
According to the military administration of Kyiv, six Russian balloons were detected over the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday, and the majority of them were shot down after being engaged by air defences.
Although air alarms were sent in Kyiv on Wednesday, it said the balloons might have been carrying corner reflectors and reconnaissance equipment but did not say exactly when they sailed above the capital.
The military administration posted on the Telegram messaging service, "According to information that is now being clarified, they were balloons that travel in the air under the propulsion of wind."
The balloons may have been sent into the sky to spy on us and use up all of our air defences.
Shortly before the announcement, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February last year, could be using balloons in a new drive to preserve its stocks of reconnaissance drones.
“Reconnaissance drones like the Orlan-10 are now being used more sparingly (by Russia), and they thought ‘Why don’t we use these balloons?’ So they are using them,” Ihnat told Ukrainian television.
He confirmed that air raid sirens had blared in the capital on Wednesday because of balloons flying overhead.
Ihnat echoed the military administration’s suggestion that Russia could be using the balloons to distract Ukrainian air defenses.
“The enemy wants us to use our air defenses, which protect our strategic objects, on these balloons, which cost nothing.”
Russia did not immediately comment on the reports of balloons over Kyiv.
