Moldova says Russian drones entered its airspace again, posing aviation threat

Moldova’s interior ministry said it had identified two drones as Russian and that they had flown over Moldovan territory, prompting the closure of its airspace. They later flew into Ukrainian territory, it added.

“In the course of this incident, which posed a serious threat to flight safety, Moldova’s airspace was closed for an hour and 10 minutes from 22.43 to 23.53 (2043 to 2153 GMT) on the orders of the civil aviation authority,” it said.

Moldova, which complained of a similar intrusion on November 20 and again earlier this week, described the latest incident as intimidation in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and denounced “illegal and dangerous actions posing a threat to civil flights and peoples’ lives”.

Russia’s Ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Ozerov, has been repeatedly summoned to its foreign ministry over the incidents. Ozerov cast doubt this week on whether one of the drones, put on display outside the ministry, were involved in any intrusion and suggested the incidents were aimed at worsening already poor relations between Moscow and Chisinau.

Since Sandu was first elected in 2020, Moldova’s ties with Russia have come under increasing strain, with Moscow accusing it of being behind unfriendly actions and whipping up anti-Russian sentiment. Moldova’s parliament this week ordered the closure of a Russian cultural centre in Chisinau, saying it could serve to promote narratives posing a threat to national security.