Moldova on Wednesday summoned Russian envoy over Russian drone sighting in its airspace, displaying remnants of a Russian drone. Writing on X, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said Russian envoy Oleg Ozervo was given a note protesting the incident.
“Such actions gravely breach our sovereignty and endanger national and regional security. We demanded steps to prevent any recurrence,” the minister stated. He also shared the video of the Russian envoy walking past the Russian drone sprayed with a pro-war “Z” sign on the steps of the building.
The drone was one of the six drones that crossed into Moldova’s airspace and had fallen on a house in northeastern Floresti district near Ukrainian border.
Ozepov denied Russia’s drone violation over Moldova’s airspace. “There is no drone, there is no convincing evidence that this drone is of Russian production, its route is not known. There are no photo and video materials to prove that it flew over the territory of the Republic of Moldova,” the ambassador told reporters while leaving the ministry’s building.
Meanwhile, Moldova’s pro-Russian opposition leader Igor Dodon claimed that the government had fabricated the incident. “You’ve seen how PAS [Party of Action and Solidarity] is trying to cover up the scandals lately. Today it delicately placed a drone on the roof of a house,” Dodon said in a press conference. “I believe that, with regret, the war in Ukraine - which we condemn, we have always said that we are against the war - is being used by the current government to cover up its internal problems,” he went on saying.
In the past few months, Russia has been repeatedly accused of violating the airspace of its neighbours, including Romania, Poland and Moldova. Nordic countries of Denmark and Norway have also reported drone sightings over their territories.
