Key facts
- Russia's Foreign Ministry said it declared a Moldovan diplomat at the Moscow embassy undesirable.
- The ministry said Moldova's ambassador was summoned and told the decision rested on reciprocity.
- Russia cited Moldova's October 23 declaration of a Russian Embassy employee in Chisinau as persona non grata.
- The Russian ministry said Moldova had provided no proof that drones that landed on its territory were Russian.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on November 10 that it had declared a Moldovan diplomat at the country's Moscow embassy undesirable, in retaliation for a similar Moldovan move taken in October. A statement posted on the ministry's website said Moldova's ambassador had been summoned to be informed of the decision "based on the principle of reciprocity."
The ministry pointed to a Moldovan decision dated October 23 to declare an employee of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau a "persona non grata." The Russian statement did not name the Moldovan diplomat involved.
Moldova, a former Soviet republic between Ukraine and Romania, is led by pro-European President Maia Sandu and is seeking European Union membership by 2030. Its government has issued a series of protests about what it says are Russian drones from the war in Ukraine landing on its territory; it said five drones crashed inside Moldova in less than 24 hours in mid-October.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moldova had provided no proof that the drones were Russian and accused Moldovan authorities of whipping up anti-Russian sentiment.