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Diplomatic Tensions Escalate Between Moscow and Chisinau
Russia has expelled a staff member from the Moldovan embassy in Moscow in a tit-for-tat response to Moldova's earlier expulsion of a Russian diplomat. The move follows a dispute over a drone that crashed on Moldovan soil.
Russian Ministry Summons Moldovan Ambassador
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that it had summoned Moldova’s ambassador, Lilian Darii, to lodge a strong protest over Chisinau's decision on October 23 to declare a Russian embassy employee persona non grata. Operating on the basis of reciprocity, the Russian ministry declared a member of Moldova's embassy staff unacceptable.
Moscow rejected Chisinau's justification regarding the discovery of unmanned aerial vehicle debris carrying explosives, characterizing it as a formal pretext and an unfriendly step designed to harm Russian-Moldovan relations.
Broader Context and Regional Security
Moldovan President Maia Sandu previously reported that a Russian attack drone had violated the nation's airspace and crashed near homes and an energy facility. Unmanned aerial vehicles have entered Moldovan territory several times since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Relations between Russia and Moldova have strained further as Chisinau works to integrate with the European Union and decrease its dependence on Moscow. Recent actions taken by Moldova include:
- Launching a new 400-kilovolt extra-high-voltage power line connecting Vulcanesti to Chisinau.
- Linking the domestic network to Romania and the European power grid.
- Reducing reliance on electricity supplied by the Cuciurgan thermal power plant in Transnistria.