Russia declares Moldovan diplomat undesirable in retaliatory move

Russia's Foreign Ministry ​said on Tuesday it had ​declared a Moldovan ‌diplomat at ​the country's Moscow embassy undesirable in retaliation for a similar Moldovan move ‌undertaken last month. 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," referring ‌to a Moldovan decision dated October 23 to declare an employee of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau a 'persona non grata.'

Ex-Soviet Moldova, ⁠lying between ​Ukraine and ⁠Romania and led by pro-European President Maia Sandu, is seeking membership ⁠of the European Union by 2030. The Moldovan government has issued ​a long series of protests about what it says ⁠are Russian drones from the more than 4-1/2-year-old war in ⁠Ukraine ​that have landed on its territory.

In one incident in mid-October, it said five drones crashed inside Moldova ⁠in less than 24 hours. 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.