Moldova hands second protest note in a week to Russian ambassador
In short
Moldova's Foreign Ministry summoned Russian ambassador Oleg Ozerov in Chisinau on 3 October and handed him a note of protest over drones and missiles entering the republic's airspace, the second such summons in a week. Moldova's Defence Ministry reported drones and missiles crossing the airspace and debris falling in several districts; Kommersant and RBC said two drones and three missiles were involved, while Vedomosti reported five drones. No casualties were reported, Chisinau has not provided evidence the drones belong to Russia, and Ozerov said Moscow was ready to investigate jointly.
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Moldova's Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's ambassador to Chisinau, Oleg Ozerov, on 3 October and handed him a note of protest over violations of the republic's airspace by drones and missiles of unidentified origin, the ministry said. It was the second time the Russian diplomat was called in within a week. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Moldova's Defence Ministry said on 3 October that five drones entered the country's airspace, with fragments found in the Causeni, Hincesti, Anenii Noi and Stefan Voda districts; near the village of Crocmaz, falling debris caused a fire and material damage, Vedomosti reported. Kommersant, citing the same ministry, said two drones fell and three missiles exploded near the settlements of Anenii Noi, Stefan Voda, Tudora and Causeni, while another drone entered the airspace from the direction of Odesa and left a minute later towards the Ukrainian town of Belyaevka. No casualties were reported. RBC, citing Chisinau, said three missiles and two drones crossed the airspace within 15 minutes and that their debris caused fires. The outlets differ on the number of objects: Vedomosti reports five drones, while Kommersant and RBC report two drones and three missiles. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kommersant reported that the Moldovan side has not provided evidence that the drones belong to Russia, and that Chisinau has not officially reported the origin of the flying objects. Ozerov said Moscow was ready to investigate the incidents jointly but that Chisinau was avoiding cooperation. “Our specialists are ready to come and see whether these really are Russian devices, which ones, and why they appeared there,” he told journalists, according to RIA Novosti. RBC reported that Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of involvement in such incidents. [ 2 , 3 ]
The note follows a first summons on 1 October, when the ministry handed Ozerov a protest note after three drones violated Moldovan airspace in a single day and two of them fell and exploded on the country's territory, according to the Moldovan authorities. At the time the ministry said such violations had been recorded eight times in seven days. In late September the Defence Ministry said Moldovan airspace had been violated 81 times since 2022, including 44 cases since the start of 2026, mostly in areas near the border with Ukraine. Vedomosti also recalled that on 18 May the ministry demanded explanations from Ozerov over a drone that Chisinau said violated the airspace on 13 May. [ 1 , 2 ]
Kommersant noted that a protest note and establishing the origin of the objects are separate procedures: the absence of confirmed ownership does not rule out a reaction to the crossing of airspace itself, but holding a particular state responsible requires a separate investigation. A drone that fell in November 2024 was examined with the involvement of a techno-forensic centre and forensic experts, it said. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The note is the second diplomatic confrontation between Chisinau and Moscow in a week, and it comes from a country that borders Ukraine, where documents locate most of the recorded airspace violations. The documents record repeated violations since 2022 and 44 cases since the start of 2026, suggesting continued spillover of the war into Moldovan territory. Chisinau has not attributed the objects and Moscow denies involvement, so the dispute remains unresolved.
Key facts
- Moldova's Foreign Ministry summoned Russian ambassador Oleg Ozerov and handed him a note of protest on 3 October over violations of the republic's airspace by drones and missiles of unidentified origin. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It was the second time the Russian ambassador was called in by the Moldovan Foreign Ministry in a week, after a note of protest on 1 October. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Moldova's Defence Ministry reported on 3 October that drones and missiles entered the airspace; debris was found in the Causeni, Hincesti, Anenii Noi and Stefan Voda districts, and near the village of Crocmaz falling debris caused a fire and material damage. [ 1 ]
- Vedomosti reported five drones entering the airspace, while Kommersant and RBC reported two drones and three missiles. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- No casualties were reported. [ 2 ]
- Chisinau has not provided evidence that the drones belong to Russia and has not officially reported the origin of the flying objects. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ozerov said Moscow was ready to jointly investigate the incidents and that Chisinau was avoiding cooperation. [ 2 ]
- Moldova's Defence Ministry said at the end of September that the country's airspace had been violated 81 times since 2022, including 44 cases since the start of 2026, mostly near the border with Ukraine. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Moldova's Foreign Ministry summoned Russian ambassador Oleg Ozerov and handed him a note of protest on 3 October over drones and missiles entering the republic's airspace. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The summons on 3 October was the second in a week, after a protest note on 1 October. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Moldova's Defence Ministry reported drones and missiles entering the country's airspace on 3 October and debris falling on its territory. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Which state or actor is responsible for the drones and missiles. Kommersant reported that the Moldovan side provided no evidence that the drones belong to Russia, and that Chisinau has not officially reported the objects' origin; Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in such incidents, RBC reported.
- How many objects entered Moldovan airspace on 3 October. Vedomosti reports five drones, while Kommersant and RBC report two drones and three missiles, so the outlets differ on the count.
- The outcome of earlier investigations into fallen drones. Kommersant mentions that a drone that fell in November 2024 was examined with the involvement of a techno-forensic centre and forensic experts, but the account is cut off and no result is given.
- Oleg Ozerov said Moscow was ready to jointly investigate the incidents but that Chisinau was avoiding cooperation. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Vedomosti reports the protest note handed to ambassador Oleg Ozerov and the Moldovan Defence Ministry's account of five drones entering the airspace. [ 1 ]
- Kommersant reports Ozerov's remarks that Moscow is ready to investigate jointly and details of two drones falling and three missiles exploding. [ 2 ]
- RBC reports that, according to Chisinau, three missiles and two drones crossed the airspace within 15 minutes and that Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement. [ 3 ]