Moldova closes airspace after Russian drones cross border for third time in nine days

Moldovan officials said on Saturday that Russian drones had crossed into the country’s airspace, creating a risk for civilian aircraft, the third such breach reported in just over a week.

President Maia Sandu, who aims to secure Moldova’s entry into the European Union by 2030, has repeatedly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and accused Moscow of trying to undermine stability in the small former Soviet republic, which borders Ukraine and EU member Romania.

According to the interior ministry, two drones were confirmed to be Russian and were detected flying over Moldovan airspace, leading authorities to temporarily shut down the skies. The ministry said the drones later continued into Ukrainian territory.

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.

With inputs from agencies