Another drone incident in Moldova
Another drone has violated Moldova’s airspace and exploded near the village of Lopatna, in Orhei district. The blast was unusually strong. A crater up to one metre deep was left at the scene.
At first, as usual, Russia was blamed. But fragments of the UAV reportedly carried inscriptions in Ukrainian, which clearly points to the country of origin. So what happened next? Did Mihai Popșoi deliver an angry speech? Did the Foreign Ministry summon the Ukrainian ambassador? Did Chișinău send a protest note to Kyiv? Of course not, Russia is still to blame.
Chișinău avoids naming the drone’s origin
In its statement, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry carefully avoided mentioning the country of origin of the drone. At the same time, the ministry quite correctly stated that “the unauthorised flight of any aircraft in the airspace of the Republic of Moldova, or its fall on our territory, represents a threat to national security and a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state”.
So far, so good. But then comes the familiar political twist. Instead of blaming Ukraine, from where the drone apparently came, Popșoi’s ministry again points the finger at Russia.
“This incident once again highlights the risks and consequences that the Russian Federation’s aggressive war against Ukraine creates for regional security and neighbouring states,” the Foreign Ministry said.
In other words, even when the drone has Ukrainian markings, the official conclusion remains the same: Russia is guilty.
At least Ozerov was not summoned
The only thing missing was another summons for Russian ambassador Oleg Ozerov. Thankfully, that did not happen this time. Otherwise, the whole episode would have looked like complete theatre of the absurd.
Moldova’s sovereignty was violated. A drone exploded on Moldovan territory. Ukrainian markings were found on the wreckage, but Chișinău’s diplomatic reflex remains unchanged: do not upset Kyiv, do not question the official line, and blame Moscow anyway.
