Russia’s Ambassador to Moldova on Wednesday criticized authorities in Chisinau for their approach to bilateral relations after he was summoned over drone incursions earlier this week that were blamed on Russia.
The Moldovan Defense Ministry said six Russian drones violated the country’s airspace on Tuesday, with at least one crashing onto the roof of a home. Neighboring Romania, a NATO member, scrambled four fighter jets in response to the air incursion.
“Such actions gravely breach our sovereignty and endanger national and regional security,” Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi wrote on X after handing Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov a note of protest. “We demanded steps to prevent any recurrence.”
A video published by Moldovan media showed a white drone placed in front of the entrance of Moldova’s Foreign Ministry building as Ozerov came out from his meeting with Popșoi to speak to reporters.
“These matters should be handled by specialists,” Ozerov said. “We suggest changing the logic of our relations a little and stepping out of this vicious cycle of lodging protests immediately after events occur.”
He suggested the drone crash may have been a “false flag operation” and claimed that “third parties” were trying to derail ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Both Romania and Moldova have faced repeated airspace violations since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including multiple cases of drones falling on their territory.
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