Oleg Ozerov calls for a joint investigation after the MFA handed him a protest note over drones that violated Moldova’s airspace

Russia’s ambassador-designate to Chișinău, Oleg Ozerov, received a new protest note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, October 1, after three drones violated the airspace of the Republic of Moldova on September 30. Two of the aircraft exploded on the country’s territory, and the authorities in Chișinău described the incidents as serious violations of sovereignty and direct threats to the population.

Ozerov rejected allegations concerning the drones’ Russian origin and called for evidence to be presented before any conclusions were drawn. The diplomat said Moscow was prepared to take part in a joint investigation to establish the type and origin of the aircraft.

“All these drones resemble one another,” the ambassador said, adding that they could have been produced in any country. Asked whether he feared incidents, Ozerov replied: “I am not afraid of my drones.”

The MFA says that, over the past seven days, Moldovan airspace has been violated eight times. In the case of Ivancea, Orhei district, investigators found fragments marked “Gheran-4,” a turbojet engine and three craters. According to the authorities, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 85 Russian drones and missiles have illegally flown over the Republic of Moldova.