Romania Recalls its Ambassador from Moscow and Expels One of the Russian Diplomats
Romania decided to recall its ambassador to Russia for consultations and expel one of the Russian diplomats after a series of incidents involving Russian "Shahed" type drones violating the country's airspace, writes "European Pravda".
Debris of a downed "Shahed" type drone. Photo from the Facebook page of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
As reported by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after summoning the Russian ambassador, an official protest was handed to him. The Romanian side stated that for three consecutive days, Russian drones violated the country's airspace. During the meeting, the Russian diplomat was shown debris from one of the drones, which was officially identified as Russian.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that these actions by Russia are illegal and irresponsible. Bucharest emphasized that Romania's airspace is simultaneously part of NATO and European Union airspace, therefore, such incidents are considered unacceptable.
The Romanian authorities stated that Russia is solely responsible for the violations and the growing tension in the region.
In addition, the Russian ambassador was informed about the decision to expel one of the employees of the Russian embassy in Bucharest. This diplomat was given five days to leave Romanian territory.
Romania is also recalling its ambassador from Moscow for consultations. The country's authorities stated that they would continue to coordinate their actions with NATO and EU partners and take necessary measures to protect national security and citizens.
Earlier, on July 26, Romania for the third consecutive day used its air force to destroy a drone that violated its airspace. The first combat deployment of Romanian fighter jets to shoot down such an apparatus occurred on July 24. It was later confirmed that it was a "Shahed" type drone.
Prior to this, there had already been repeated instances when Russian drones flew into Romanian territory and crashed in border areas near the Danube during Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports.
One of the most serious incidents occurred at the end of May, when a "Shahed" drone reached the city of Galați on the border with Ukraine and crashed into the upper floor of a multi-story building, causing significant damage.