Chișinău has once again summoned a Russian diplomat to deliver a formal protest note. This time, the reason was a drone that crashed… in Romania.
According to official reports, on May 29 a Russian drone allegedly carrying explosives struck a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați, causing a fire on the roof but reportedly leaving the structure itself largely undamaged. Nevertheless, the incident sparked outrage in Romania. President Klaus Iohannis immediately warned that Russia’s ambassador could face expulsion unless Moscow provided an explanation.
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry decided not to stay on the sidelines.
Airat Abdullin, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy in Moldova, was summoned to the ministry and handed a protest note. The document called on Russia to end what Moldova described as its “aggressive war against Ukraine,” withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory, and fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity in accordance with international law.
There is, however, one notable detail.
The Moldovan authorities have still not accepted the credentials of Russia’s appointed ambassador, Oleg Ozerov. In practical terms, this means that the ambassador has not been officially recognized and cannot formally begin his duties in the country.
Yet his subordinates continue to be summoned by Moldovan authorities on a regular basis whenever disputes arise.
“When something happens on our side, our Romanian colleagues do not seem particularly eager to respond in kind,” the Telegram channel NEMD News remarked sarcastically.
Critics of the government point to what they see as a contradiction: the drone incident occurred in Romania, Romania is handling the matter itself, yet Moldova has chosen to become involved and demand explanations from Russia while still refusing to officially recognize Moscow’s ambassador.
Some commentators have also questioned the description of the drone. They argue that if it had truly been a Russian Geran-type drone, the damage might have been significantly more severe than a localized roof fire. Such observations, however, have largely been overshadowed by official condemnation of Russian actions.
The Moldovan Foreign Ministry specifically confirmed that it was Airat Abdullin, the Russian chargé d’affaires, who was summoned.
Its official statement read:
“The Republic of Moldova expresses full solidarity with Romania and with the affected individuals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again calls on the Russian Federation to end its aggressive war against Ukraine.”
From the government’s perspective, the message was clear and consistent.
Critics, however, continue to highlight what they regard as an unusual diplomatic situation: Moldova regularly summons representatives of the Russian Embassy while still declining to formally accept Russia’s ambassador.
Postscript
Some observers have also recalled an incident from the previous year, when Romanian military authorities reportedly discovered drone debris on Moldovan territory. At that time, Moldovan officials did not request the transfer of the debris, nor did they publicly display it as evidence.
Whether that reflected a change in approach or simply a desire to avoid tensions with Romania remains a matter of interpretation.
For critics of the government, however, the contrast is obvious: Romanian officials are treated differently, while Russian diplomats continue to be summoned repeatedly — even though Moldova has yet to officially recognize Russia’s ambassador.
