Moldova says Russian drones entered its airspace again, posing aviation threat
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On Nov 26, Moldova placed a Russian-made Gerbera drone found on its territory on Nov 25 on the steps of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after summoning Russia's ambassador to Moldova to explain it.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
- Moldova reported Russian drones entering its airspace, posing a threat to aviation, leading to airspace closure and flight diversions.
- President Sandu condemned Russia's attacks on Ukraine and airspace violations, calling them intimidation and a threat to civilians.
- Moldova summoned Russia's ambassador over drone incidents, while Russia suggested the incidents aimed to worsen relations.
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CHISINAU - Moldovan authorities said on Nov 29 that Russian drones had entered the country’s airspace, posing a threat to aviation, in the third such incident in nine days.
Two commercial flights were diverted to Romania during the incident and another plane preparing for leave from Chisinau was temporarily grounded, officials said.
President Maia Sandu, who wants to bring Moldova into the European Union by 2030, has denounced Russia’s war in Ukraine and accused Moscow of attempting to destabilise the ex-Soviet state, which lies between Ukraine and EU member Romania.
The latest incident coincided with a large Russian attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian targets, killing three people and wounding nearly 30.
Moldova’s interior ministry said it had identified two drones as Russian and that they had flown over Moldovan territory, prompting the closure of its airspace.
They later flew into Ukrainian territory, it added.
“In the course of this incident, which posed a serious threat to flight safety, Moldova’s airspace was closed for an hour and 10 minutes from 10.43pm to 11.53pm on the orders of the civil aviation authority,” it said.
President Sandu said in a post on X that the “brutal attack” was neither “the language of diplomacy, nor of a country claiming to negotiate peace”.
“On their way to kill civilians, Russian drones again violated Moldovan airspace... We condemn these attacks and stand with Ukraine,” she said.
Moldova, which complained of a similar intrusion on Nov 20 and again earlier this week, described the latest incident as intimidation in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and denounced “illegal and dangerous actions posing a threat to civil flights and peoples’ lives”.
On Nov 26, Moldova summoned Russia’s Ambassador to Moldova, Mr Oleg Ozerov, over a Nov 25 drone crash, handing him a protest note and placing the actual drone outside its foreign ministry.
Mr Ozerov suggested the incidents were aimed at worsening already poor relations between Moscow and Chisinau.
Since Ms Sandu was first elected in 2020, Moscow has accused Moldova of being behind unfriendly actions and whipping up anti-Russian sentiment. REUTERS, AFP
