Russia denies drone intrusion into Romanian airspace, calling it "a propaganda stunt"
On July 28, in response to Romania's accusation that Russian drones violated its airspace, Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, denied the claims and described them as "unfounded" and "orchestrated."
Zakharova stated that Romania had unjustly accused Russia of violating its airspace using drones, and exploited the incident as a pretext to expel a Russian diplomat. She claimed these drone incidents were "orchestrated" and part of an information warfare campaign.
She asserted that the Romanian leadership attempted to conceal the "catastrophic consequences" stemming from its support for Ukraine; it was Bucharest’s backing of Kyiv, not Moscow’s actions, that negatively impacted Romania’s security and socioeconomic conditions. "Bucharest’s unfriendly behavior will receive its due response," she added.
Russian Ambassador to Romania Vladimir Lipayev also said Romania’s protest was "a propaganda stunt," aimed at "preventing further strikes by the Russian armed forces against Ukrainian Danube and Black Sea port infrastructure actively used by the NATO bloc."
Previously, Romania’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador on multiple occasions to lodge protests over repeated intrusions by Russian drones into Romanian airspace. Meanwhile, Bucharest declared a Russian embassy staff member "persona non grata."
According to Romania’s Ministry of Defense, Romanian F-16 fighter jets scrambled three times on July 24, 25, and 26, shooting down three Russian drones that had entered Romanian airspace over the Black Sea. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 33 incidents of Russian drones entering Romanian airspace have been recorded.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872008707732492/
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