The dispute over drone wreckage in Moldova deepened Tuesday after Russia summoned the Moldovan ambassador and declared a Moldovan Embassy employee persona non grata, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry said it delivered a diplomatic note to the ambassador protesting Moldova’s Oct. 23 decision against a Russian Embassy employee. It said the response followed the principle of reciprocity.
In describing Moldova’s rationale, the Russian ministry said Moldovan authorities had cited wreckage from a drone carrying explosives found in Moldova. It said Chisinau had not shown the aircraft was Russian and called Moldova’s move unfriendly.
Moldova’s Defense Ministry said a joint team identified the aircraft as a Gheran-4. The Moldovan ministry’s identification gave the aircraft’s designation, while Russia’s objection concerned whether it had been shown to be Russian.
EconoTimes previously covered the Oct. 23 drone incursion and initial conflicting accounts about the Russian Embassy employee’s status.
