Moldova summons Russian ambassador over drone wreckage found in country

Moldova summoned the Russian ambassador after UAV debris was found in the country on February 13. This was called a new and serious violation of Moldovan airspace by Russian drones.

This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova.

During the meeting, Moldova expressed a strong protest to the Russian ambassador about these "unacceptable violations" against the countryʼs sovereignty and the security of Moldovan citizens. He was told that this was another unfriendly step by the Russian Federation. As evidence, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry showed the Russian ambassador the wreckage of the crashed drones.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again called on the Russian authorities to immediately stop these invasions and strictly adhere to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Moldova.

Against the backdrop of the incident, the country decided to unilaterally terminate the intergovernmental Moldovan-Russian agreement on the creation and operation of cultural centers, which had been in effect since 1998. Therefore, the Russian Cultural Center will subsequently cease to operate in Moldova.

What preceded

Drones were found in Moldova today after the Russian attack on Ukraine. One of the UAVs fell in a field near the village of Chumai, Taraclia district. The second exploded in a field 1.5 km from the town of Ceadîr-Lunga. This is near the border with Ukraine. There were no injuries. Moldova previously believed that the drones found were Russian. President Maia Sandu called the attack proof that Russia is "sowing terror" — this is not the first time that Russian drones have flown into Moldova.

Russia attacked the Odesa region at night. Port infrastructure was damaged in the Izmail district, and one woman was injured.

• On November 17, 2024, both missiles and drones crossed Moldovan airspace, attacking a critical structure in Ukraine.
• Moldova is not the only country where fragments of missiles and drones used by Russia to attack Ukraine have been found. For example, fragments of Russian drones have been found several times in Romania, in particular in the village of Plauru — the country is regularly visited by drones used by the Russians to attack the Odesa region.

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