Moldova summons Russian Ambassador after airspace breach
Russia's Ambassador to Chișinău, Oleg Ozerov, was summoned to the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on 20 November, following reports that a new drone had illegally entered Moldovan airspace on the night of 19 November.
Upon leaving the MFA, the Russian diplomat stated he had not been presented with any evidence confirming the aircraft was Russian-made.
MFA officials delivered a formal note of protest to the ambassador, calling the incident a "serious violation of national sovereignty."
"The firm protest of the Moldovan side was conveyed to the ambassador regarding this grave violation of national sovereignty and the risks posed to the security of citizens," the Chișinău diplomatic service said in a statement.
The MFA reiterated its demand that the Russian Federation avoid any actions that could jeopardise the security of the Republic of Moldova and strictly respect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ambassador Ozerov maintained that he had been shown no proof the drone that breached the airspace was launched by Russia. He questioned the diplomatic decision to summon him, noting: "We wonder, therefore, why the Ambassador of Russia was invited and not the Ambassador of Ukraine, given that the drone entered from Ukrainian territory."
He further claimed: "I wish to remind you that, countless times, Ukrainian drones have penetrated foreign territories."
The Russian ambassador urged Chișinău authorities "not to be influenced by external actors who would like to involve the Republic of Moldova in a confrontation with the Russian Federation."
Mr. Ozerov also highlighted discrepancies in initial reporting: "We noticed that the Ministry of Defence initially categorically denied any drone passage. Only after consultations with Ukrainian and Romanian military officials was it affirmed that, nevertheless, there was an overflight, but the drone was not found."
The drone overflight was confirmed by the Moldovan Ministry of Defence after exchanging information with partners in Ukraine and Romania, who first signalled the aircraft’s presence over the national territory.
According to the data, the drone crossed Moldovan airspace between 03:22 and 03:35, entering from the Lesnaia locality in Ukraine and travelling towards Săiți, in the Ștefan Vodă district.
The aircraft was flying at a low altitude of approximately 100 metres (330 feet), which prevented Moldovan airspace monitoring systems from detecting it.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, several suspected Russian drones have illegally overflown the airspace of the Republic of Moldova. Some aircraft, or fragments, have fallen onto the country's territory and exploded near populated areas.
Fortunately, these explosives-laden drones have not caused any casualties in the Republic of Moldova to date.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
