Moldova’s Russian Ambassador Criticizes Bilateral Relations Amid Drone Tensions

On Wednesday, the Russian Ambassador to Moldova expressed his discontent with the Chisinau authorities regarding their handling of bilateral relations, following his summons linked to recent drone incursions attributed to Russia.

The Moldovan Defense Ministry reported that six Russian drones entered the nation’s airspace on Tuesday, with at least one crashing onto a residential roof. In reaction to this airspace breach, Romania, a NATO member, deployed four fighter jets.

Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi condemned these actions, stating on X that they significantly undermine the country’s sovereignty and pose a risk to national and regional security. He noted that Moldova has called for measures to prevent similar incidents in the future after presenting a formal protest to Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov.

A video released by Moldovan media showed a white drone placed at the entrance of the Moldovan Foreign Ministry as Ozerov exited his meeting with Popșoi to address the press.

Ozerov remarked, “These issues should be dealt with by experts. We propose adjusting the nature of our relations and breaking out of this negative pattern of filing protests right after incidents occur.”

He also hinted that the drone crash could have been a “false flag operation” and accused “third parties” of attempting to obstruct ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Russia aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Both Romania and Moldova have experienced numerous breaches of their airspace since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including several instances of drones landing on their territories.