The key facts

  • Russia expelled an employee of the Moldovan embassy in response and protested the October 23 expulsion of a Russian diplomat
  • The Russian foreign ministry rejected the link between the drone and Russia as unconfirmed
  • Moscow called Chisinau's move an unfriendly act

Moscow's symmetrical response

Russia summoned the Moldovan ambassador and, in response to the expulsion of its diplomat, declared an employee of the Moldovan embassy in Moscow persona non grata, the Russian foreign ministry said, as cited by Anadolu. The ambassador was handed the corresponding diplomatic note.

The cause and the parties' positions

The subject of the dispute was Chisinau's decision of October 23 to declare an employee of the Russian embassy persona non grata. According to the Russian foreign ministry, the Moldovan authorities justified this by the discovery on Moldovan territory of debris from a drone carrying explosive substances. The Russian side called these accusations unfounded, stating that there is no evidence linking the drone to Russia. In Moscow, the expulsion was described as an unfriendly act aimed at further deteriorating relations and creating difficulties for the Russian diplomatic mission in Chisinau.