Oleg Ozerov received a note of protest after a drone flew over the airspace of the Republic of Moldova on Tuesday night. The Russian ambassador claimed that authorities have no evidence confirming the origin of the device or even its existence. He also suggested that Moldovan officials should have summoned the Ukrainian ambassador, Paun Rohov, since the drone crossed into Moldova from Ukraine.
“We wonder why the Russian ambassador was invited and not the Ukrainian one, since the drone originated from Ukrainian territory. That is the first point. (…) There is not even a drone. It was just buzzing. (…) We believe there is no basis for accusations against the Russian Federation if there is no evidence besides the buzzing of the drone,” Ozerov said after his summons to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the night of November 19 to 20, during Russian attacks against Ukraine, the Border Police reported that an unidentified aerial drone had flown over Moldova’s airspace. The Ministry of Defense later confirmed the information, explaining that monitoring systems did not detect the aircraft because it was flying at a low altitude.
Following the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had summoned the accredited Russian ambassador.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the accredited Russian ambassador to Chisinau today in connection with the incident on the night of November 19, when a drone illegally flew over Moldova’s airspace. The ambassador received the firm protest of the Moldovan side regarding this serious violation of national sovereignty and the risks created for the security of citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates its call on the Russian Federation to avoid any actions that could jeopardize the security of the Republic of Moldova and to strictly respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Moldovan diplomats stated after the meeting with Ozerov.