Moldova's airspace violated eight times in a week; protest note given to Oleg Ozerov
On Thursday, October 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) handed a note of protest to Oleg Ozerov, the Russian Federation’s ambassador-designate to Chișinău, after three drones violated the national airspace on September 30, with two of them exploding on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. While the authorities in Chișinău strongly condemn the incidents and characterize them as serious violations of sovereignty, the Russian diplomat demands evidence regarding the drones' origin and maintains that these cases must be investigated before accusations are made.
Ozerov states that Moscow is prepared for a joint investigation with Moldovan authorities.
MFA: "A serious violation of sovereignty"
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Moldova's airspace has been violated eight times in the last seven days, and several drones have crashed and exploded within the country's territory.
"The Republic of Moldova condemns in the strongest terms this serious violation of its sovereignty, which has directly endangered the lives of citizens," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
At the same time, the authorities in Chișinău condemn the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine, stating that it threatens the security of the entire region.
Ozerov demands evidence regarding drone origins
Oleg Ozerov rejected allegations that the drones originated in Russia and, after meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanded evidence.
"It is impossible to discuss these matters and the points you are raising here without the presentation of evidence. All these cases need to be investigated before accusations are levelled," the Russian diplomat stated upon leaving the Foreign Ministry headquarters.
Ozerov said the Russian side has repeatedly proposed joint investigations to determine how the incidents occurred and what type of drones were involved.
"I tell you frankly: we are fed up with the baseless accusations directed at us," the ambassador asserted.
According to Ozerov, the Russian side has not yet received evidence proving that the drones which entered the Republic of Moldova's airspace are of Russian origin—even though analyses conducted by the General Police Inspectorate confirm their provenance, including through markings found on some drone fragments.
"We have repeatedly stated to the Moldovan side that we are ready to investigate these incidents jointly to determine how they happened and what is involved. Because, to date, we have received no evidence that these drones are of Russian origin," he said.
"These drones look alike"
The Russian ambassador questioned whether a drone's origin can be determined solely by its appearance.
"All these drones look alike. Take an American drone—it looks exactly the same. (...) They could be any type of drone, manufactured in any country," Ozerov stated.
When asked by journalists whether he felt safe in the Republic of Moldova, given the increasingly frequent drone incidents, the Russian diplomat replied: "I am not afraid of drones, and I feel sufficiently safe in the Republic of Moldova."
The Russian ambassador added that Ukraine had launched attacks on civilian and economic targets in Russia in recent months and stated that Russia's response had reached as far as the Odesa region, near the borders of the Republic of Moldova.
"It is clear that the intensity of military actions is increasing and, so to speak, nothing can be ruled out," Ozerov declared.
We remind you that the most recent incident occurred on the evening of September 30, when an aircraft entered the airspace of the Republic of Moldova without authorization and exploded near Ivancea, in the Orhei district.
Police officers found drone fragments at the scene, including wing components marked "Geran-4," a turbojet engine, and three craters along the roadside. The main blast site was located approximately 10 meters from the roadway, with debris scattered across a radius of about 120 meters.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, 85 Russian drones and missiles have illegally flown through the airspace of the Republic of Moldova.
