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Moldova Displays Crashed Russian Drone, Summons Moscow's Ambassador Amid Border Tensions

Moldova placed the wreckage of a Russian-marked drone outside its foreign ministry and summoned Ambassador Oleg Ozerov to lodge a formal protest after the device fell on a house near the Ukrainian border. Officials said six drones breached Moldovan airspace, calling the flights an illegal overflight and a serious violation of sovereignty. Moscow dismissed the incident and accused others of trying to damage already strained ties. The episode unfolds as Chisinau moves to close a Russian cultural centre, a step condemned by the Kremlin.

02:25 AM, 11/27/2025Conflict
Moldova Displays Crashed Russian Drone, Summons Moscow's Ambassador Amid Border Tensions

Moldova publicly displayed the wreckage of a Russian-marked drone outside its foreign ministry on Wednesday and summoned Moscow's ambassador in a strong diplomatic protest after the device fell on Moldovan soil near the Ukrainian border.

Diplomatic protest

After calling in Ambassador Oleg Ozerov, Moldova's foreign ministry placed the crashed drone in front of its headquarters and published video footage on social media showing the envoy walking past the debris, which bore a red letter Z. Officials said the drone came down on the roof of a house in a village in northeastern Moldova close to the border with Ukraine.

Airspace breaches and reaction

The government reported that six drones in total had breached Moldovan airspace during the incident. The foreign ministry handed Ambassador Ozerov a formal note of protest, calling the flights an "illegal overflight," "totally unacceptable" and a serious violation of Moldova's sovereignty.

When asked about the crash by local journalists, Ozerov dismissed the claims and questioned why the drone reportedly found on a roof had not caused more damage. He suggested the episode was part of attempts to harm bilateral relations, which he described as already being at their lowest point in history.

Wider context

The incident comes amid growing tensions between Chisinau and Moscow. In early November, Moldova's pro-EU government approved a bill to close a Russian cultural centre, describing it as "by no means cultural." The Kremlin and pro-Russian opposition at home condemned the move. The bill still requires final parliamentary approval; the government says it plans to close the centre by summer 2026.

The display of the drone and the diplomatic summons underline Moldova's concern over violations of its airspace since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and reflect mounting strain in relations with Moscow.

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