Moldova summons Russian envoy over drone explosion in its territory
- 13 February, 14:11
Moldova summoned Russian ambassador Oleg Ozerov on Thursday after it said Russian unmanned aircraft crashed on its territory. "Shaheed drones violated our airspace, two exploded on our soil, putting Moldovan lives at risk," Moldovan President Maia Sandu wrote on X, while also condemning Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry said it summoned the Russian envoy to demand an explanation and "strongly protest these unacceptable actions."
Moldova's border police reported that several drones crossed into its airspace overnight, with two crashing in fields. More drone fragments were found in a third location later. After being summoned to the Foreign Ministry and shown the drone fragments, the ambassador questioned whether they were from a Russian drone.
"How do you know they're Russian?" Ozerov asked reporters outside Moldova's Foreign Ministry building. "We don't rule out provocations by third parties.” Ozerov also added that "Moldova is not a party to the conflict, and Russia has no intentions of aggravating the situation in relations with Moldova. Ozerov has been summoned over similar incidents in the past.
In another escalation of ties between Chisinau and Moscow, Moldova’s Foreign Ministry also announced it would shut down the local branch of Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian state-funded cultural diplomacy agency, known as the Russian Center of Science and Culture.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s neighbour Romania announced on Thursday that its radar system intercepted an aerial target that briefly crossed national airspace" near the Ukrainian port of Reni overnight.
