Moldova Presses Russian Ambassador With Gerbera Drone, Hands Over Protest Note

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova summoned the Russian ambassador and showed him the Russian military Gerbera drone that had entered the country.

Following the display, the Ministry handed a protest note to Oleg Ozerov, the Russian ambassador in Chisinau.

On November 25, six Russian Gerbera drones violated Moldovan airspace. One crashed into a house in the village of Nizhni Kuguresti in the north of the country.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry called the actions “absolutely unacceptable,” saying they represented a serious violation of the country’s sovereignty and a direct threat to national and regional security.

The statement also emphasized that such incidents endanger the region’s peaceful development and stability.

The Ministry reiterated its call on Russia to refrain from actions that threaten state security and to adhere strictly to international norms. It also demanded that the Russian Embassy take the necessary measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Ahead of the ambassador’s visit, a Gerbera drone that had crashed in northern Moldova was brought to the Foreign Ministry building.

The unmanned aerial vehicle is used for electronic reconnaissance, kamikaze attacks, or as a decoy to overwhelm air defense systems.

Russian forces began deploying it actively against Ukraine in 2024.

The drone is made of polystyrene foam and is often described as a simplified version of the Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drone.

These drones also crossed from Belarus into Poland on September 10, becoming the first to be shot down over a NATO country.