The Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Russian Federation, Lilian Darii, was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The diplomat was handed a note of protest regarding alleged violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, in connection with two incidents involving employees and vehicles of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau, IPN reports.

According to Russian diplomatic sources, the first incident reportedly took place on July 19 in Chisinau, when law enforcement officers allegedly stopped a bus belonging to the diplomatic mission under the pretext of a document check and confiscated its diplomatic license plates without explanation. Russia claims that, during this incident, the police used force and threatened to detain embassy staff. Moscow also claims that the embassy’s request for the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send a representative to the scene of the incident to clarify the situation was ignored.

The second incident reportedly occurred on the night of July 20–21 at the Leuseni border crossing, where embassy employees leaving the Republic of Moldova to transport official cargo to Russia were allegedly detained, without cause, for more than four hours.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Ambassador Darii was informed of a serious violation of fundamental provisions of the Vienna Convention, under which the host state is obligated to provide all necessary assistance for the diplomatic mission to carry out its functions. Russian diplomats also noted that they reserve the right to take symmetrical retaliatory measures.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chisinau said they would issue an official statement later.