An employee of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the Russian Federation has been declared persona non grata by the authorities in Moscow in a reciprocal move following the expulsion of an employee of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau. The decision was conveyed to Moldova’s ambassador to Moscow, Lilian Darii, who was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, IPN reports.
According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Moldovan authorities’ decision was taken on the pretext that fragments of a drone allegedly carrying explosives had been found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. Moscow maintains that no evidence has been presented to establish the drone’s Russian origin and describes Chisinau’s decision as an unfriendly act.
The institution also accuses the Moldovan authorities of seeking to undermine bilateral relations and create unfavorable conditions for the work of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau.
On October 23, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chisinau announced that it had declared an employee of the Russian Embassy persona non grata following an incident involving a drone believed to have been carrying explosives, which was discovered in the village of Chistelnita in Telenesti district. According to the Moldovan authorities, the drone crashed approximately 100 metres from a home. The incident was described as a serious violation of the country’s airspace and a threat to public safety.
