Romania escalates against Moscow by expelling a Russian diplomat following air violations

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, in a statement, that it had informed the Russian Ambassador, Vladimir Lipayev, that a member of the Russian diplomatic mission was considered persona non grata, while asking him to leave Romanian territory within five days.

Airspace Violation Incidents

The decision came after a series of airspace violation incidents, as Romania shot down three drones within three days at the end of last week, while it was recorded, Monday, a new breach in Romanian airspace.

The Romanian authorities also presented to the Russian ambassador parts of the wreckage of a drone. "a witness"She said she was shot down by a Romanian fighter "F-16"noting that the plane was used in Russian attacks on Ukraine.

Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2022, Romania, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has witnessed repeated incidents of Russian drones penetrating its airspace, and some of them landed within its territory.

Repeated violations

Last May, two people were injured after a drone fell on a residential building in Romania, causing This prompted NATO and the European Union to warn Moscow against repeating these violations.

In 2025, the Romanian Parliament approved a law allowing the authorities to shoot down any drone that violates the country’s airspace.