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Moscow to Summon Romanian Envoy After Russian Diplomat Expelled Over Drone Incursions

Fragments of drones downed on Romanian territory are displayed at the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest. Romanian Foreign Ministry / via REUTERS

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced plans to summon Romania’s chargé d’affaires in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.

According to the ministry’s short statement, Liliana Burda was expected to be summoned on Thursday.

The Russian ministry did not publicly confirm plans to summon Burda or the reason for her planned summoning as of publication.

The move would come exactly one month after Moscow’s promise to retaliate after Bucharest in late July declared a Russian diplomat persona non grata over repeated drone incursions into Romanian airspace.

At the time, Romania’s foreign ministry also recalled its own ambassador to Russia for consultations.

The ministry summoned Russia’s Ambassador in Bucharest, Vladimir Lipayev, to show him fragments of a drone destroyed over Romanian territory.

“The Romanian side expressed its firm protest against these illegal and irresponsible actions and made clear where responsibility lies,” the ministry said on July 27, adding that Russia’s violation of Romanian airspace was “absolutely unacceptable and intolerable.”

The Romanian military shot down three drones said to be of Russian origin between July 24 and July 26.

Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine, has reported multiple breaches of its airspace since the 2022 Russian invasion.

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